SBS’s new observational documentary, 'Kebab Kings', will lift the lid on an Australian multicultural institution – the kebab shop.
The original three-part series, narrated by Australian actor Shane Jacobsen, and produced by CJZ, follows the staff and customers at two of Australia’s busiest kebab shops.
Cameras capture what goes on behind the spit at Oz Turk in George Street, Sydney and Smith Kebabs in Collingwood, Melbourne.
'Kebab Kings' delves into the lives of the kebab shop owners and staff as they live the ‘Australian dream’, and explores the challenges they face when their beliefs and values come face-to-face with a very different culture on a daily basis.
In Melbourne, Australian-Indian Muslim couple Mustafa and wife Zareena have run Smith Kebabs for four years and have grand plans to build their business into an empire, all while juggling raising a young family.
Alcohol-fuelled customers from gay clubs and hipster pubs in trendy Collingwood are often at odds with the Muslim culture of Smith Kebabs’ owners and staff.
Turkish couple Fatima and Nafi, along with their son Ufuk, have been kebab royalty of Sydney for 14 years, catering to the scores of tipsy city workers, backpackers and weekend revellers who party in the heart of Sydney’s CBD with charm and unwavering customer service.
More than a decade of 14-hour days has taken its toll and now the local legends have decided to retire, selling Oz Turk to rookie entrepreneurs and wannabe kebab kings, Syrian brothers Fadi and Rami.
The cameras in these two kebab shops capture people behaving badly, the problems with excess, and human behaviour at its best over the busy three weeks leading up to Christmas.
Wish they had their cameras at the Kebab shop in Mitchell St. That would be a eye opener.
'Kebab Kings' airs over three weeks, beginning Wednesday 25 November, 8.30pm on SBS.
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