February 24, 2004
Contact: George Yatchisin
(805) 893-3494
e-mail: yatchisin-g@ sa.ucsb.edu
A Touch of Spice—the most popular Greek film of all-time—screens at UCSB Campbell Hall
Summary Facts:
- Screening of A Touch of Spice with actor George Corraface
- A Touch of Spice is the most popular Greek film of all-time
- International star Corraface will be making a rare U.S. appearance
- The evening is co-presented by The James and Sarah Argyropoulos Endowment in Hellenic Studies, the UCSB Center for Film, Television and New Media, and UCSB Arts & Lectures
- Thursday, April 1
- 7:30 pm / UCSB Campbell Hall
- General public: $8 / UCSB students: $6
- Tickets & Information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535
With major funding from the James and Sarah Argyropoulos Endowment in Hellenic Studies, the UCSB Center for Film, Television and New Media, and UCSB Arts & Lectures will present a special advance screening of the delightful film A Touch of Spice (2003, 108 min.), winner of eight Greek Film Awards and Greece’s nominee for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, on Thursday, April 1 at 7:30 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall. The film’s star George Corraface will make a rare U.S. appearance and answer questions after the screening. The Guardian Unlimited calls the film “the Mediterranean answer to Like Water For Chocolate...It packs a historical and emotional punch.” The film is directed by Tassos Boulmetis.
A Touch of Spice is the story of Fanis, a young Greek boy growing up in Istanbul, whose grandfather, a culinary philosopher, teaches him that both food and life require a little salt to give them flavor. The adult Fanis—now living in Athens as the Turks deported most Greeks in 1965—becomes an excellent cook and uses his skills to spice up the lives of those around him. Thirty-five years later he travels back to his birthplace of Istanbul to reunite with his grandfather and his first love, only to realize that he forgot to put a little bit of spice in his own life.
International actor George Corraface is of Greek origin, but was born and raised in Paris. Fluent in French, English, Greek and Spanish, Corraface remains based in the French capital but enjoys working on international productions on a regular basis. Originally a stage actor, he came to prominence as a member of Peter Brook’s Paris-based company the International Centre of Theatre Research, and one of his earliest cinematic appearances was in Brook’s The Mahabharata in 1989. He has worked on many English-language films, including playing the title role in Christopher Columbus—the Discovery, and supporting parts in Escape from LA, Not without My Daughter and Impromptu. Internationally his film appearances include roles in Vicente Aranda’s Passion Turca in Spain, Andreas Pantzis’ Slaughter of the Cock in Greece, Bambino Mio with Julie Walters in England, and Long Live the Bride and the Liberation of Kurdistan, Préférence, and Love, Math and Sex in France.
Like the protagonist of his film, director/writer Tassos Boulmetis was born in Constantinople (Istanbul). Boulmetis’ family moved to Greece when Tassos was seven as the Turkish government expulsed most Greeks and seized their land in 1965. He studied physics at the University of Athens and film production and direction at UCLA. In 1990 he co-produced, wrote and directed the feature film Dream Factory, which won the Golden Award at the Houston Fantastic Film Festival. Since 1988 he has directed international TV commercials and has particularly worked developing special effects and processing electronic images.
This event is sponsored by The Daily Nexus, KCSB 91.9 FM, the Santa Barbara Independent and Blue Agave. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $6 for UCSB students and available in advance, and at the door, starting at 6:30 pm, if still available.
For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.
Editor: For photos, please call
George Yatchisin at (805) 893-3494.