Kicking off the annual summer cinema of Faneromeni25 Art Festival is the beloved film Politiki Kouzina (A Touch of Spice) by director Tasos Boulemtis. Screening for free on Thursday at 8.30pm, the film will be in its original Greek (with dialogue in Turkish and German as well) with subtitles in English.

When the film was released in 2003 it was well-received by film critics and cinephiles alike, awakening a sense of memory for those descending from Constantinople. The film deals with the persecution suffered at the hands of the Turkish authorities by the Greeks of Constantinople in 1964, but the subject is explored through something the two nations know well – cooking.

The protagonist of the film, Fanis Iakovides, a professor of astrophysics in Athens waiting for his grandfather from Constantinople, who he has not seen since his childhood. As he begins preparations for his welcome, he invites all his grandfather’s friends and prepares a series of dishes. He uses his culinary expertise to enliven the lives of those around him. Through family flashbacks and cooking lessons using local spices and herbs, the chef realises something key about his family and identity.

The film received 11 wins and one nomination at film festivals. Relevant for those of us in Cyprus as well, the screening at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation is an opportunity to explore the film’s themes – and for free. Just don’t go hungry, the film works up an appetite, and tears.

Politiki Kouzina (A Touch of Spice)

Free film screening part of Faneromeni25 Art Festival. July 10. Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, Nicosia. 8.30pm. Free