The romance story will feature Amahle Wheeler (Zoe Saldana), who travels to Italy to study and falls in love with Lino, a great chef (Eugenio Mastrandrea). It will examine the beauty of immersing oneself in totally another cultures, with gastronomy serving as a distinguishing motif. Tembi Locke’s book, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home, inspired the film. The author, who also serves as a screenwriter for the series, collaborated with her sister Attica Locke to adapt her novel into a television series.
Danielle Deadwyler, Keith David, Kellita Smith, Judith Scott, Lucia Sardo, Paride Benassi, and Roberta Rigano also appear in different roles in From Scratch. Netflix published a trailer for the series earlier this month.
The Netflix limited series will launch on October 21, 2022, at 3 a.m. EST.
Trailer for From Scratch: A Cultural Love Story
The limited series will tell a love tale that crosses national and cultural boundaries. The series, described as a love letter from Sicily, will highlight the benefits of cultural mixing, which has historically been portrayed negatively in many partnerships on television. The teaser also revealed that the program would cover a significant portion of Amahle’s life, from her growing relationship through her marriage and delivery. From Scratch’s summary reads:
“From Scratch” is a cross-cultural love tale inspired by the book that follows Amahle “Amy” Wheeler (played by Zoe Saldaa), an American student studying abroad in Italy, as she meets and falls in love with Lino, a Sicilian chef.”
The summary goes on:
“Their rapid relationship encounters many unexpected hurdles, including their very different cultural origins; true to reality, it is also imbued with lightheartedness and moments of comedy that coexist with the more serious ones.”
The summary also discusses the more serious themes that the program will address. It claims that when Lino faces “unimaginable health issues” that threaten the couple’s future, their families rally to support one another. According to the narrative, this simply goes to show that “love has no bounds.” Tembi Locke, the book’s author, and her sister Attica Locke penned the first and last episodes. Amy Wang, JJ Braider, Marguerite MacIntire, Joshua Allen, and Jason Coffey are among the show’s other writers. Nzingha Stewart and Dennie Gordon direct the series.
In a 2019 interview about the biography, Locke said that following the loss of her husband, she had an idea while in Sicily with her daughter and mother-in-law:
“How did we get here, particularly considering where we began AND the fact that the sole person linking us is no longer alive? That question seemed like it sprang from the pages of a book. Of course, it took me another two years to feel ready to write it. I needed to get up the courage to share the tale…’I have something to say, this story is important.’ Possibly more so for women, and perhaps even more so for black women.”
Because this series is based on true events, viewers are sure to find it fascinating. From Scratch will launch on Netflix on October 21, 2022.
