A Touch of Spice is a story about a Greek boy, Fanis, growing up in Istanbul, whose grandfather teaches him that both food and life require a touch of spice to give them flavour. Fanis grows up to become an astrophysicist and an excellent cook, using his cooking skills to spice up the lives of those around him. Many years later, he travels back to his birthplace to reunite with his grandfather and his first love; he comes to realise that he had forgotten to add a little spice to his own life.
Dir. Tassos BOULMETIS
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Recommendation
Using spices as a metaphor for life, this semi-autobiographical story, which is set in an Istanbul spice shop, uses appetisers, main courses, and desserts to symbolise the three stages of the protagonist’s life: leaving home, longing for home, and returning home. It reveals how family fate is intertwined with the history of Turkey and Greece. Spices here represent family, love, and growth—they are vessels of memory and identity. No matter how life goes, never forget to add a little flavour to your journey.
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LAI Mei Kei
Artist and researcher in digital olfactory art. She is the Dean and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Art and Design in Macau Polytechnic University. She is the author of the monograph “Sniff the Future: Digital Olfactory Arts in Daily Life” and “Oh Sniff the Whiff: Exploring the Smellscapes in Macao”.