Soul Kitchen

Story

Director Fatih Akin loves Hamburg – and FILMFEST HAMBURG oves Fatih Akin. The best prerequisite for presenting his sixth feature film as the opening film of the 17th FILMFEST HAMBURG. Akin describes “Soul Kitchen” as his “first ever Heimatfilm” – and seldom has one seen Hamburg and actors from Hamburg staged so beautifully. The film centres on Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) the owner of a run-down restaurant. When his girlfriend Nadine leaves for China, it seems that Zino’s time has come. But then his new cook (Birol Ünel) revives the place – and the guests begin to come. Many of them. Unable to forget Nadine, Zino rents the place out to his brother Illias (Moritz Bleibtreu), a day release prisoner. Soon the real estate agent Neumann (Wotan Wilke Möhring) begins to work Illias… A story of love, lust, Lucullan delights and loyalty. And an homage to Hamburg.

Director

FATIH AKIN (*1973 in Hamburg) is one of Germany’s most successful and internationally recognized directors. His fourth film "Gegen die Wand" won the Golden Bear in 2004, along with the German and European Film Prizes. "Auf der anderen Seite" ran in competition at Cannes in 2005 and won the award for best screenplay. FILMFEST HAMBURG has shown several of Akin’s films, including "Soul Kitchen" (2009) and "The Cut" (2014) and in 2014 awarded him the Douglas Sirk Prize.