Sangak

Overview

Amidst the backdrop of social revolution, a baker quietly performs their traditional craft. Bread is symbolic of sustenance, history, and culture, while also regarded as an economic indicator; its basic affordance and accessibility may distinguish the health and prosperity of society. This animated short film visualizes the making of Sangak, an Iranian flatbread, which translates from Farsi into “little stone” for the small heated stones it is baked on top of. Reflecting the concept of the quiet encroachment of the ordinary, the subtle act of baking may be considered as a form of resistance to the external chaos and an assertion of one’s own agency. The film utilizes stop motion animation, paper, pen, pencil, and collaged photographs.The background plates are high resolution images of 13th century ceramic tiles from Kashan,Iran, sourced from The Museum of Islamic Art in Türkiye.