Private Project

Bread in the Hindukush

Among the Non-Muslim Kalasha in the Hindukush mountains in NW Pakistan, bread is the staple food.
Bread has big social and religious significance as well.
This film follows the bread from field to table in all links demanding hard work and fine skills.
We see the rôle of bread at big social events and at purification rites.
We see bread used when a new born baby Is presented to the family goddess Jestak and bread given as offerings at the shrines.
We see the Kalasha making tiny bread figurines that have a magical function.
Eventually, we follow a Kalasha girl to the bazaar in the district capital Chitral.

  • Birgitte Glavind Sperber
    Director
  • Birgitte Glavind Sperber
    Writer
  • Birgitte Glavind Sperber
    Producer
  • Washlim Gul
    Key Cast
  • Qasum Khan
    Key Cast
  • Yasir Khan Kalash
    Assistant Photographer
  • Sarmas Gul
    Flute
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Ethnography, Food, Agriculture, Religion, Social life
  • Runtime:
    39 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 9, 2012
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Denmark
  • Country of Filming:
    Pakistan
  • Shooting Format:
    MiniDV
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • XXVI Pärnu Film Festival 2012
    Pärnu
    Estonia
    July 3, 2012
    Premiere
  • Etnia Filmfestival 2012
    Turku
    Finland
    October 13, 2012
Distribution Information
  • Birgitte Glavind Sperber
    Country: Denmark
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Birgitte Glavind Sperber

Birgitte Glavind Sperber: Born 1942, M.Sc. in Biology and Geography from University of Copenhagen. Retired senior lecturer in Geography and Biology from University College South in Denmark.
Every year 1983-2008 and in 2018, 2019 and 2022 long stays, in total over 2½ years, among the Kalasha, a non-Muslim minority living in the Hindukush Mountains in NW Pakistan .
Education in social anthropology from Aarhus Open University. Author of books and ethnographic papers on the Kalasha.
Since 2000 shooting with a camcorder.
First film made at Danish Film Institute’s Video-workshop in Haderslev in 2001.
Since then working alone at my computer at home.
12 of my Kalasha documentaries have been selected for screening at 24 international film festivals. Two have been awarded ("The Last Honours" and "Kalasha Medicine").

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