Stelios Mainas Movies
- 2003
The historical conflicts between Greece and Turkey and the lives of those caught in between are explored in Tassos Boulmetis' debut feature, the autobiographical drama A Touch of Spice. A box-office smash in Greece, the film won the Audience Award at the 2003 Thessaloniki Film Festival, and had its U.S. premiere in competition at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. After a brief prologue, which introduces its astronomer-chef protagonist, Fanis (Georges Corraface of Escape From L.A.), who lives in Greece and is preparing for a visit from his grandfather, Vassilis (Tassos Bandis), the film flashes back to his boyhood 35 years earlier in Istanbul, where Vassilis, who owns a grocery store, teaches Fanis about the connection of various spices to life and to the universe. The precocious Fanis makes a deal with a girl he likes, Saime (played as an adult by Basak Köklükaya), that he'll cook for her if she dances for him. Eventually, political turmoil intrudes on the family's happiness, and Fanis' father, Savas (Ieroklis Michailidis), a Greek, is forced to take his wife (Renia Louizidou) and son out of the country. They settle in Athens, but never get over the trauma of being deported. In addition to missing his grandfather, Fanis never gets over his connection to Saime. His grandfather repeatedly promises to visit, and to bring the girl along, but always has an excuse for canceling the trip at the last minute. Meanwhile, Fanis grows up despondent and depressed. He quickly develops a great talent for cooking, which his parents strongly discourage. It's not until he's in his forties that Fanis makes the voyage back to Istanbul to resolve his relationship with the two most important people in his life. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Georges Corraface, Ieroklis Mihailidis, (more)
- 2002
Penny Panayotopoulou's debut feature, Dhiskoli Apoheretismi: O Babas Mou (Hard Goodbyes: My Father), is a drama about an Athenian family coping with a death. In May 1969, ten-year old Elias (Giorgos Karayannis) is obsessed with the possibility of man landing on the moon and dreams up outrageous fantasy lives. When his father dies unexpectedly, he creates an elaborate fantasy that allows the father to stay alive in the boy's mind. His older brother and his mother have their own techniques for dealing with the tragedy. Hard Goodbyes: My Father was screened at the Locarno Film Festival, where Karayannis was awarded the Best Actor citation. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giorgos Karayannis, Stelios Mainas, (more)
- 1997
Two Greek rubes get into trouble while trying to enact a harebrained get-rich scheme. Irresponsible Stavros is married to the pragmatic and more mature Eleni. She is pregnant and he has not reconciled himself to this fact. His good buddy Fotis is still single and loves chasing women. Neither man is terribly intelligent, but both are sure they have come up with a brilliant way to easily make their fortunes. The plan is thus: they will take a large amount of Greek drachmas, convert them into American dollars and convert them to Bulgarian currency. They will then head for Switzerland and convert the Bulgarian lev to U.S. dollars and thereby make a big profit. The plan involves travel and a good sum of money to begin. They get the needed stake from Eleni who temporarily appropriates 7 million drachma from her vacationing boss's account and reluctantly gives it to Stavros, who immediately sets off in a beat up jalopy with Fotis. They only have a week to get the money exchanged. Right from the start, things begin going wrong when they get a lousy exchange rate on the drachmas. Things don't get better in Bulgaria. Complicating matters is the constant bickering between the two friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Christos has been a friend to a raffish young man named Manolis for many years, even when he was sent to prison for deserting the army during his obligatory service. Now he and his friend are on their way to Manolis' home village. Christos, an Athenian, is much more responsible than his friend and finds his irresponsible ways alternately appealing and irritating. The young scoundrel spends most of his time at cafes and bars, alternately seducing foreign tourist women and bragging about his conquests to his friends. Meanwhile, his mother is struggling hard to make ends meet. While the relationship between the two men is an unlikely one, there is a possibility, never explored, that there is more to it than meets the eye. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stelios Mainas, Toula Stathopoulou, (more)
