Greek Film Portrays Food As A Metaphor For Life

Written by Katherine J.

(2006)

     A Touch of Spice (Politiki Kouzina in Greek) is an excellent portrayal of the struggle of a Greek family living in Turkey during a time of political confusion. The film is based on the life story of the director, Tassos Boulmetis, whose family was deported from Constantinople in 1964 after many generations of life and immersion in Turkish culture. The real-life conditions mesh perfectly with a more personal, fictional story to create fine drama and a refreshingly different film.

     Fanis Iakovidis, played by George Corraface, is a professor of astronomy at a Greek university. When his family was deported from Turkey, his first love Saime and his grandfather Vasilis were left behind. His grandfather, who is the owner of a spice shop “teaches young Fanis about cooking and about the wonders of space, with the powerful ingredients integral to life itself: salt as earth, pepper as sun, and cinnamon as Venus.” Fanis learns at a young age that “food and life require “a touch of spice” to give it flavor.” (brochure)

     Having settled in Greece, the Iakovidis family is seen as foreigners, so Fanis applies his grandfather’s culinary philosophy and uses the preparation of food in order to connect with people. After thirty-five years, the protagonist leaves Athens and travels back to his birthplace to reunite with his grandfather and his first love, “only to realize that he forgot to put some spice in his own life.” (brochure)

     Tassos Boulmetis demonstrates great talent as a director of this film. He skillfully tells the story of Fanis in three parts as a meal – the appetizer, where we follow the lead’s boyhood in Turkey, the main course, where he is an adolescent in Greece, and the dessert, where he meets his grandfather and childhood sweetheart again. By creating a “double movie” based on Fanis’ childhood and adulthood, he brings his audience closer to the protagonist and he creates a better understanding of the shaping his character.

     This beautiful and touching story is also well acted. George Corraface shows a wide range of emotion and depth of character – from his relationship with his grandfather to his fixation on Saime his childhood friend. His love of cooking connects all different aspects of his life in a beautiful and interesting way. Saime, played by Basak Koklukaya, is a wonderfully unique character. Her mysterious personality is alluring and captivating. Boulmetis portrays her from Fanis’ point of view so that the audience can identify with his love for her and understand it. It was great how the ending of the Fanis and Saime storyline managed to not be the cliché “happy ending” but at the same time be a positive one. It was a very uncommon approach to ending a romantic story and it worked out beautifully.

     Billed as one of Greece’s most popular films of all time, the story is filled with nostalgia and is an emotional journey that also touches sensitively on Greco-Turkish relations. It is a sincere tale that contains all the ingredients of life – politics, humor, drama, and romance. A Touch of Spice deserves to be embraced by lovers of world cinema.