A Touch of Spice DVD, 2003

On its release in 2003, this Greek box-office record breaker put Hellenic cinema right back on the map. The film begins in picturesque Constantinople, where Fanis’s idyllic childhood, in which he learns about the world through herbs and spices in his grandfather's grocery shop, is disrupted when his family are deported to Greece. He has to bid farewell to his former life, his grandfather and to Saime, his first love. He is sent to an initially hostile Athens, where he slowly adapts to the new cultural climate, using his culinary skills to spice up the lives of those around him.
Often described as the best Greek film ever made, the film beautifully details the social and political backdrop behind the central love story at this dark stage in Greece's history, yet remains funny and delightful throughout, revealing authentic Greek traditions and cultural sensitivities (unlike the crude stereotyping in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding).
There is much to savour here – it’s a must for all foodie-film fans!

Rena Markogiannaki on 21st May 2007
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