Almost all our students have seen the film, the English title is “A touch of spice”, and I do not remember anybody having disliked it.
A love affair with an unhappy end on the surface, a continuous love affair of Greeks and Turkish alike for our Constantinople, their Istanbul…and all the story covered by the magical music of Evanthia Reboutsika.
I played the film once more for our students on May 5th after I introduced them briefly in the story but mainly in the historical and cultural background.
And I have not forgotten to remind them that the Turkish name comes directly from the Greek. Is tan Polin is the basis of Is tan bul, so simple. It means “to the City”, the capital P corresponding to the grandeur of the city through hundreds of years.
Kostas Karkanias
The director
