A Taste of Tradition

"Tastes of Traditions" is a 3-minute documentary that digs into cultural identity, about my Bangladeshi family in the UK, and their identity through cooking. My name is Zakariya. I'm a 15-year-old wannabe filmmaker who made this film for my GCSE media studies. My teacher said, "Maybe try something easier, maybe a poster even?" But using the camera and making videos is my passion, and it only felt right that this was the way to explore my identity. So, I decided to create this short film about my Dadu (grandma), who's 80 years old and the bridge between my two cultures, British and Bangladeshi. The documentary takes you on a trip down memory lane, returning to her childhood in Sylhet, Bangladesh. It's all about the traditions of home-making. Her story unfolds with her memories about cooking and food sharing, like a timeless ritual in her village. What I got from her story is about more than just moving to the UK as a migrant woman with four young children (of whom the youngest is my dad). It's about how the food keeps the cultural vibe alive. Even when the Bangla language gets mixed up with English, food becomes this crazy link to the homeland, connecting everyone across generations, even if they can't always speak the same language. Being a third-generation teenager is a whole different deal compared to my parents and grandparents. But what stays the same? Yep, you got it—food. It's like this unbroken thread through time. Whilst my Dadu shares all these heartwarming stories, she's also sad about how traditional food is losing its appeal to fast food and convenience. The documentary catches that mix of happy and sad vibes about what's coming for future generations. So, "Tastes of Traditions" isn't just a food documentary; it's all about family connections and making you think about how food is a super important part of who we are.