Aahana Swrup
‘My Oxford Year‘ charts a coming-of-age story that takes place in the titular historical city, home to the University of Oxford. It revolves around an American student, Anna De La Vega, who is fulfilling her lifelong aspiration of studying poetry at her dream institution. Naturally, she has a list of things tucked away that she considers staple experiences she must undergo during her time at the University. However, her list, involving everything from library visits to fish and chip lunches, receives some new additions when she meets the charming professor, Jamie Davenport. As the duo embarks on a fling, which is destined to be anything but casual, they mark several locations around the campus and the city as their special spots. Yet, perhaps none holds such an exceptional place in their romance as Dimitri’s Kebab, the food truck Anna and Jamie venture out to on their first unofficial night out together.
Dimitri’s Kebab is a Fictional Food Van With Connections to a Real Oxford Staple
Despite the fictionality of ‘My Oxford Year,’ the film strives for authenticity and realism in its narrative and visual depiction of the University of Oxford. For the same reason, the filmmakers, director Iain Morris and screenwriters Allison Burnett and Melissa Osborne, were eager to showcase one fundamental piece of Oxford tradition: kebab food vans. As it turns out, much like Jamie proclaims in the story, ending a night out on a kebab van is an invariable part of the University’s culture. In real life, fans will be able to find many kebab vans around the city. Yet, none that directly share Dimitri’s Kebab’s moniker. During production, the filmmakers were intent on using the famed real-life food van Hassan’s of Oxford in the project.
Nonetheless, complications prevented the filmmakers from tracking down the food van’s owner and obtaining rights for the brand name. Consequently, the fictional Dimitri’s Kebab was born as a replacement. Funnily enough, eventually, once the project began filming in the historic city, the crew’s path crossed with the popular Hassan and his kebab van. Fatefully, no other vans were available for filming save for Hassan’s. As a result, the real-life food van ended up being used as Dimitri’s physical counterpart during filming. The fake logo for the latter brand, created by the film’s art department, was stuck on top of the van’s real branding. Additionally, the real-life Hassan ended up training the person who would be playing the role of Dimitri on the screen.
Thus, ultimately, Dimitri remains a fictional spot that was created in the image of a real-life food truck. Off-screen, Hassan’s of Oxford is likely the kebab van Hassan’s Street Kitchen, located at 23 Broad Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. The place is known for the spicy, curried flavor of its meat, and also offers Halal and Vegetarian-friendly options. Furthermore, it’s mostly known for being open well into the night, hosting hours of 6:30 pm to 4:30 am. Even though the place itself couldn’t be used for the project, its intricate link to the city remains reflected in Dimitri’s on-screen presence. In the film, the food van is closely tied to Anna’s time at Oxford, offering the backdrop for multiple major moments in her life-changing romance with Jamie.
Read More: Do Tom and Maggie End Up Together in My Oxford Year?
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