Director: ShowBox
Cast: Mel Brooks, Ike Barinholtz, Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes
History of Nowruz is a 2025 British documentary short that traces the ancient roots and living traditions of Nowruz — the Persian New Year celebrated for over three millennia across Iran, Central Asia, and diaspora communities worldwide. Running six minutes, it packs a focused cultural portrait into a compact and accessible format.
What is History of Nowruz about?
This brief documentary examines the origins and enduring significance of Nowruz, the spring equinox celebration that has been observed across Persian and neighboring cultures for thousands of years. The film walks through the festival's pre-Islamic roots, its symbolic rituals — the Haft-Sin table, the fire-jumping of Chaharshanbe Suri, the family gatherings — and its remarkable resilience as a living cultural tradition embraced today by millions across dozens of countries. Rather than a deep historical lecture, the piece operates as an introductory portrait, offering unfamiliar viewers an accessible entry point into one of humanity's oldest celebrations while reminding those already familiar of the shared meaning that ties scattered communities together each spring.
Cast & crew
The production credits list Mel Brooks, Ike Barinholtz, Nick Kroll, and Wanda Sykes among its contributors. The director credit is listed as ShowBox. With a runtime of just six minutes, the piece relies on its contributors' voices to animate the subject rather than extended on-camera performance, lending it a brisk, narrator-driven tone suited to the short-form documentary format.
Context & significance
Nowruz sits at the heart of Persian cultural identity, and for the Iranian diaspora scattered across Canada, the United States, Europe, and beyond, it remains one of the most emotionally charged calendar moments of the year — a thread connecting first-generation immigrants to their children and grandchildren who may have grown up far from Iran. A documentary that centers Nowruz as a subject of world-historical importance, worthy of serious attention, carries genuine resonance for diaspora viewers. The film is in its original audio with no Persian dubbing or subtitles, meaning fluent English speakers in the community will get the most out of it. Its brevity makes it an easy companion piece to Nowruz-season gatherings.
Where & how to watch
History of Nowruz is available on K-Time and can be watched on any device — your smart TV, phone, or web browser — with no VPN needed and no geo-blocking. The film plays in its original audio. Start a subscription and cancel anytime.