The IFC Films grown-up comedy “Soul Kitchen” by screenwriter and director Fatih Akin, stars Adam Bousdoukos, Birol Unel, Moritz Bleibtreu, Phelin Roggan, Monica Bleibtreu, Anna Bederke, Lucas Greorowic, Dorka Gryllus and Wotan Wilke Mohring.
The restaurant business is a great way to make a living, but it can be really tough as Zinos Kazantsakis (Adam Bousdoukos) has learned the hard way. Leaving his brother Illias (Moritz Bleibtreu) in charge when he takes off after his girlfriend Nadine (Monica Bleibtreu) calls it quits and flees to Shanghai. Zinos returns with a broken heart having lost Nadine to another man and discovers the restaurant has been lost to pay for a gambling debt.
Zinos loves his brother but every time he turns around Illias is in trouble and no matter what the subject, they end up fighting. But Zinos doesn’t have a sterling reputation as a business man either. Catering to the street crowd in Hamburg with fast food for those with low expectations, the restaurant is more of a hang-out than anything else. He realizes he’s in way over his head and disorganized in general but he just can’t walk away for his business.
Totally dazed and confused, Zinos is at his wits end joins friends for dinner at the hot spot for great food when Lady Luck smiles at him again. The top chef Shayn Weiss (Birol Ünel) at the restaurant quits in a drunken rage.
It doesn’t take long for Zinos and Shayn to meet and talk, and Shayn offers to take over his kitchen, this is an offer Zinos can’t refuse and the Soul Kitchen is born. Shayn transforms the menu and before long Zinos and his restaurant is THE place to be seen, eat great food and party to a mix of world music created for dancing. Some of Shayn’s creations push the love button for the patrons and the crowd just keeps coming back for more.
Zinos is amazed at all of the attention and begins to learn things about food he never knew. Although Nadine returns, Zinos begins to look at some of his other options, like getting his life together. With the placed packed every night, the Soul Kitchen’s rise to fame hasn’t gone unnoticed. Much to Zinos surprise, Illias saves the day when Thomas Neumann, (Wotan Wilke Mohring) a greedy business man comes calling with has his mind made up to transform Soul Kitchen into a Disney theme restaurant and is sent packing.
