Standing on the ferry while waiting to dock on the Greek island of Ithaca, Giorgia Ongarato can't help but talk about the Odyssey, the epic poem that inspired Christopher Nolan's cinematic success.
The Italian lawyer says her dream was to visit Ithaca, the home of Ulysses in the poem.
Dressed in a t-shirt that reads "Odyssey" next to a verse, she explains enthusiastically: "I studied Greek when I was a child and I studied the Odyssey."
Although she made it clear that the film was not her gateway to the story of Ulysses struggling to return home after the Trojan War, the 50-year-old says she is also a fan of the film, which she calls "wonderful".
Businesses and authorities on the island now hope that the film will inspire many more to follow in their footsteps.
Ithaca is far from the main tourist centers of Greece and, despite its crystal clear waters and spectacular bays, it has never been a regular stop for travelers.
Its interior is rugged, covered with olive and cypress trees, and is surprisingly calm even in the middle of the tourist season.
Although the film has sparked interest among many, it has also generated some controversy in Greece.
There are no Greek actors among the main roles and locations far from Homer's homeland were chosen above all.
Although some parts were filmed in Greece, not a single scene was shot in Ithaca.
The director chose the Italian island of Favignana instead. That decision has divided opinion on this island of about 3,000 inhabitants, where the film has been screened twice in open-air cinemas since its world premiere on July 16.
Xhimi Xoxha, owner of a restaurant in Vathí, the capital, was pleased and said that the film was already "generating publicity," and predicted that the positive effects would continue.
Although Ithaca's mayor, Dionysis Stanitsas, agrees that the publicity is "enormous", he cannot hide his disappointment that the island does not appear in the film.
"We had contacted the production team and asked them to film some scenes here on the island. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible."
Now he's confident that demand will increase next year. Even before the film's release, accommodations were already fully booked.
"As more people see it, they will start planning trips to visit the island," she says.
Visitors will not find the palace of Ulysses or any spectacular archaeological site that confirms the existence of the Homeric hero.
But town squares and government buildings are dotted with statues of Ulysses and Homer.
And there are other signs of the island's rich literary heritage.
In the small sunny port, boats bob on the green waters with names like Telemachus (the son of Ulysses) or Calypso (the goddess who held him prisoner).
Souvenir shops offer busts of Homer and Penelope, the hero's wife.
Archaeologist Spyros Couvaras is among those expecting a dramatic increase in visitors, and says it's clear that tourists want more than just sand and sea: they want history and mythology.
And there's plenty of that on the island.
A short distance from the shops and restaurants of the port, vacationers stretch out on sun loungers under umbrellas on Dexia beach, enveloped by the strident sound of cicadas.
According to legend, this is the place where Ulysses landed after years of travel.
Couvaras asserts that the "driving force" behind the renewed interest is, without a doubt, the film. "But behind Nolan's film is Homer," he concludes.
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