Nostos: The Return

Nostos: The Return (Italian: Nostos: Il ritorno) is a 1989 Italian adventure drama film directed by Franco Piavoli, based on Homer's Odyssey. Starring Luigi Mezzanotte and Branca De Camargo, it follows Odysseus' homeward journey across the Mediterranean Sea following the Trojan War, and his struggles against natural obstacles and inner torments. Exploring themes of homecoming, memory of war, time, and man's relationship with nature; it relies on visual storytelling and the portrayal of nature rather than a conventional narrative. Dialogue is minimal, without subtitles, and spoken in an imaginary Mediterranean language (inspired by ancient Greek, Sanskrit, and Latin). Nostos: The Return was Piavoli's first feature-length fiction film, even though he began his filmmaking career in the 1950s. Piavoli was in control of most of the creative process, which included casting actors with little acting experience. The pre-production, filming, and editing, took one year each to complete. The film premiered at the 42nd Locarno Film Festival on 6 August 1989, and received a limited release in Italy by Mikado Film in 26 May 1990. Reception has been largely positive, with critics describing the film's depiction of nature as beautiful. The story has been interpreted as a lyrical version of Homer's epic poem, as a simplified retelling, and as an original narrative.