Return to Ithaca
Return to Ithaca
At a terrace overlooking Havana, five friends gather to celebrate that one of them has returned home after 16 years of exile. Beginning as a joyous celebration of their mutual friendship, their recollections give them the chance to reassess their lives, experiences and their unrealized dreams. The tension within the group rises as it becomes clear that the one who left longs to return home, while the ones who were left behind wish they could leave Cuba for good.
Tapping into universal themes of middle-aged disillusion, built-up regret and frustrations, acclaimed director Laurent Cantet (Palm d’Or winner The Class,Going South, Human Resources) has delivered a thought-provoking, moving and deeply human drama filled with Havana’s unique warmth and atmosphere. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received the Venice Days Award.
Title: Return to Ithaca
Original title: Retour à Ithaque
Director: Laurent Cantet
Country: Frankrike
Language: Spanska
Running time: 117 min
Year: 2014
Cast: Isabel Santos, Jorge Perugorría, Fernando Hechevarria, Néstor Jiménez
“An amazingly astute, perceptive and at the same time moving film about a whole disenchanted generation taking stock of its past.”
“a considered and illuminating look at a society rarely portrayed from the inside out.”