Kaboul Kitchen
Kaboul Kitchen is a French comedy television series broadcast by Canal+. It was created by Marc Victor, Allan Mauduit and Jean-Patrick Benes. The series is based on the true story of Radio France Internationale journalist Marc Victor, who ran a restaurant for French expatriates in Kabul until 2008. The first series premiered on February 15, 2012 on Canal+ and ended on March 5, 2012. It set a ratings record for comedy series in the primetime slot on Canal+. A second series, which will have 12 episodes, has been commissioned. The series depicts the life of French expatriate Jacky who runs the popular restaurant Kaboul Kitchen in Kabul, Afghanistan. His daughter Sophie, who he has not seen in 20 years, arrives to do humanitarian work, while he is interested only in making money. The series won two Golden FIPA Awards at the 2012 Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels: one for Best TV Series and one for Best TV Screenplay. It was screened at MIPTV and named fourth on The Hollywood Reporter's list of "MIPTV A-List Projects" for the most promising series screened at the event.
Sophie has been running Kabul Kitchen on her own since she believes her father died fleeing Kabul. When the police call her to tell her that they have arrested her father, Sophie fails to fail. At the police station, however, it is not Jacky that she discovers, but Michel, a small worldly crook who becomes encrusted in Kabul Kitchen. Amanullah comes out of prison, ruined. He had time to think in his cell. And he has a big project for his country...
Michel receives a visit from patibular Russians: he owes them a colossal sum of money. Accused, Michel offers his services to Victor, in charge of the humanitarian program "Roses against Opium", in the hope of discreetly diverting funds. Amanullah gathers his children to announce his great project: he will be the next president of Afghanistan! Lala collapsed. Axel meets Jamal, the colonel's disabled son and the naughty duckling of the brood.
Michel convinces Amanullah to get involved in the rose program: it's good for the image of the future president. Jamal, Amanullah's disabled son, takes over the heads of the rose perfume labs. Damien learns that Sophie is pregnant, which doesn't really please him as he embarks on his new business: an extreme bus for thrill-seeking tourists. Lala, determined to keep the family tradition alive, began to traffic in arms.
The humanitarian program is stalling. Michel has a bright idea: we must organize an "Afghanton" for the benefit of drug victims. For the com', Amanullah will burn his opium production live. Habib, propelled on stage against his will, sings and makes a hit. A true Machiavelli, Amanullah's son reveals his true face.
Michel brings from France a world-famous nose, an old friend whom Amanullah will fall madly in love with. Michel discovers Jamal's true designs: the perfume lab financed by Europe is actually a heroin lab. To please Sophie, Damien agreed to let Lala accompany her on her excursions; but Lala secretly uses her expat bus to pass the roadblocks and ferry her weapons.
The NGO "The Bamboo's Solution", supported by Angelina Jolie, is likely to win grants at the expense of the rose programme. Michel uses all his talents to convince the representative of the European Commission to support the roses, in vain. The Russian mobsters lend a hand to Michel: they eliminate the European official. Lala's arms trade is uncovered. Damien understands that he was fooled. Jamal, the unloved son of the Amanullah clan, takes power. The colonel is thrown out into the street.
Amanullah is invited to give a speech at the UN. Since burning his opium in front of the cameras, the repentant drug trafficker has been a star. Problem: Amanullah has been depressed at Kabul Kitchen since he was kicked out of his palace by his son. Habib, pushed by Michel who sees it as a possible source of income, joins the cast of the "Afghan Star", the "New Star" Afghan version. There he meets Pissenlit, an attractive competitor. It's love at first sight. Problem: The girl's father is a fearsome warlord.
Amanullah leaves Kabul, covered in shame after crying in front of the world's cameras at the UN. He takes refuge in the Mountains of Logar, at the home of Monadjat, a "war lady", a long-time friend. Axel, against Lala's advice, decides to adopt Aklamash, a 12-year-old orphan who has been following him everywhere since they met. As for Michel, he was arrested by the anti-drug squad which forced him to work together to bring down Jamal's business. For Michel, it's an opportunity to get rid of the Russians by making them take the blame.
Amanullah discovers that his son Jamal is about to sell his drug to Russians. That's one too many for the colonel. He takes Michel on board to storm the heroin convoy and destroy it. Damien decided to leave Kabul without telling Sophie, who is due to give birth shortly. But on the way to the airport, Axel needs him: Lala is in danger. They all end up at the place of the deal with the Russians. But they don't know that Michel has made a deal with the police, and nothing goes according to plan... Meanwhile, Habib, threatened by Pissenlit's father, flees with his dulcinea.
The Russians force Sophie to hand Michel over to them against Damien's release. Amanullah and Lala, deprived of the army, steal a stockpile of weapons and a mysterious safe. Victor finds himself with an international arrest warrant on his back; Jamal's heroin trafficking fell on him. Amanullah learns that Sophie and Michel are in mortal danger. The whole little "family" of Kabul Kitchen board Damien's bus to fly to their rescue.
The stolen safe contains a large amount of enriched liquid uranium. If they want to sell this precious cargo and pocket $100 million, they have to go to Kandahar. The epic continues towards the mountains. So here they are not only pursued by the Russians who want Michel back, but also by Yazad who wants his safe back, and by Pissenlit's father who wants his daughter back. Suddenly, Sophie has her first contractions... The bus must stop again.
Sophie gives birth, with the help of Michel. But the Russians caught up with the bus. Michel, the one responsible for all their problems, sacrifices himself. The Russians are recovering the uranium and Michel. The latter owes his salvation to providence... and his talent. Back in Kabul, nothing will be the way it used to be: Sophie realizes that Afghanistan is not a country to raise a child, she leaves Kabul with her daughter. Damien himself, stays, preferring the party to his new responsibilities. Sophie entrusts the Kabul Kitchen to Michel. Axel and Lala split up. As for the colonel, he embarked on the presidential campaign.
After three months, Jacky finally 'escapes' his kidnappers, but is shocked to find a crumbling shell where Kabul Kitchen used to be and a landlord chasing unpaid rent. Can he make it a hotspot again?
If Jacky's contract with the CIA seems too good to be true, that's because it is, which becomes clear when he's given his first assignment. Meanwhile, Sophie secures funding for a new sports stadium.
Sophie meets Amanullah's daughter Lala and admires her tenacity so much they decide to organise a female football team to help fund the stadium. CIA agent Harvey Stein is still giving Jacky headaches.
Stein arranges for a team of pole dancers to work at Kabul Kitchen as part of a plan to trap a corrupt UN official, landing Jacky in trouble with local brothel owners. Meanwhile, Sophie goes missing.
When Damien's scoop poses a threat to the CIA, Jacky arranges for him to hide out at Habib's house while he leaks the story elsewhere. But Damien gains recompense via Habib, who has his own secrets.
When an ex-lover of Jacky's arrives on a diplomatic mission and insists on using Kabul Kitchen for a sensitive ministerial meeting, the CIA bug the place and Jacky struggles to balance his loyalties.
Jacky finds himself working for the CIA and French secret service, who both insist on him wearing a wire to a meeting organised by Colonel Amanullah at his palace, but will he crack under pressure?
On the day of the football final, Stein tells Jacky to inspect the contents of a briefcase in the locker room containing information relating to Amanullah's position, leading to a dangerous stand-off.
Under increasing pressure from the CIA, Jacky finds himself in need of a quick getaway, but escaping without a passport is tricky. Paul Braque has the right contacts, but wants something in return...
The CIA threaten Jacky with a one-way ticket to Guantanamo if he doesn't help with their investigation. Jacky must retrieve the murder weapon, an ivory-handled gun, but it's easier said than done.
Amanullah is tipped off by a member of the Afghan police that they have the murder weapon and he's convinced one of his staff is responsible. Jacky is ordered to lure the colonel away from his palace.
Amanullah vows to kill Jacky for his betrayal, sending him a warning that he will have him murdered at 6pm. With help from Habib, Jacky arranges an escape route, but will his plan be short-lived?
Jacky's daughter arrives in Kaboul. She wants to do humanitarian work, but he wants her back on the plane...
Jacky's fundamentalist neighbour is outraged by what's going on at the Kabul Kitchen and gets him embroiled in a long argument with the Afghan authorities. Sophie plans to open a school for girls.
Jacky's having trouble sourcing alcohol. Relations with his regular suppliers are rather tense and he has serious doubts about the seemingly easy solution that Colonel Amanullah offers by way of help.
When Jacky is seduced by a customer, it may have serious financial consequences for the restaurant. Sophie contacts election candidate Hamida about opening her girls' school in a poor neighbourhood.
When rockets hit Kabul and the restaurant is UN blacklisted, profits take a hit so Jacky hires some mercenaries. What could possibly go wrong? Sophie wants Axel's help with the girls' school campaign.
Colonel Amanullah asks Jacky to hide his mistress Djamila when she is discovered by his wives, but Sophie objects to Djamila's confinement in her room. Then Jacky finds himself arrested for procuring.
Sophie wants to return to France after the opening of her girls' school gets no publicity and few pupils turn up. Jacky fears he has cancer, but is hesitant about being treated in an Afghan hospital.
Amanullah is inspired to improve his media profile when BBC reporter Nigel, an associate of Jacky, turns up. But Jacky doesn't want a journalist uncovering his connection to the drug lord colonel.
Outraged by Nigel's report, in which Jacky's lifestyle is exposed, Sophie's mother Martine rushes to Kabul to ask for the child support she never received and hires an Afghan lawyer to represent her.
When the daughter of Hakim, Kabul Kitchen's cook, leaves the country with help from a German NGO, he turns to religion and coaxes his workmates to adhere to strict Muslim precepts, threatening profits.
On election day, Jacky threatens Amanullah over the Halli brothers' deaths. Sophie is delighted to get a job at Kabul's new humanitarian association. Westerners are threatened as riots shake the city.
Jacky manages to get his customers evacuated from the bar - after they've paid, of course. Amanullah and Axel try to find Sophie, who's been kidnapped. Damien wants to send the riot photos to France.
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| Language | French |
| Release | 2012-02-13 |
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