Nostos: The Return

Nostos: The Return

Year: 1989

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: Italian

Director: Franco Piavoli

DramaAdventure

At war’s end, Odysseus and his crew sail for the Mediterranean, hoping to return home. Their journey is stalled by relentless natural obstacles, sending Odysseus into a reflective voyage of childhood memories, his parents, a beloved girl, nostalgia, regret and the silence. A shipwreck kills his companions, leaving him to face profound loneliness.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Nostos: The Return (1989)

Trace every key event in Nostos: The Return (1989) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Exhausted voyage and war memories

Odysseus is on a ship with his weary crew, his body and eyes tired. He experiences flashbacks to his childhood and brutal memories from the Trojan War that emphasize civilian suffering. These visions set a grim, dreamlike mood as the sea rolls beneath them.

beginning of voyage ship at sea
2

Odysseus lands and explores a cave

The ship docks and Odysseus goes ashore alone to explore a cave. He hears strange singing and calls out for his mother, drawn toward the mystery. The moment blends curiosity with a haunting, otherworldly atmosphere.

after docking shore and cave
3

Crew missing; inland search

Returning from the cave, Odysseus finds his crew missing and the ship empty. He ventures inland to search for his comrades, moving through unfamiliar terrain. The absence of his men heightens the sense of isolation.

after cave discovery inland area
4

Rocky dwelling of immobile figures

He enters a rocky dwelling filled with nude men and women who seem unable to move. A silent woman opens a large seashell and allows him to embrace her, deepening the surreal, dreamlike tone. The encounter hints at the limits of his agency in this strange world.

during inland exploration rocky inland dwelling
5

Waking in a cave and freeing the crew

He wakes up in a cave where several people, including his crew, are sleeping. He rouses his crew and the group sets off again together. The scene reorients the journey toward the open sea.

after inland encounter cave
6

Calm sea, eerie singing, storm

During the voyage the sea is calm for a period and singing is heard. A female figure briefly appears in the water, heightening the dreamlike mood. A sudden storm then hits and wrecks the ship.

during voyage open sea
7

Odysseus wakes on a beach and is separated

Odysseus wakes on a beach alone as clothes and helmets wash ashore and he cries out in torment. He wanders the lush landscape and meets a woman who lets him seduce her, and he stays with her for a time. Memories of his childhood and homeland haunt him throughout.

after shipwreck beach and island interior
8

Night raft voyage and warfare visions

He sets off alone on a simple raft that soon falls apart. While swimming at night, he has auditory hallucinations of warfare; the sounds fade as he fixes his gaze on the moon.

night sea at night
9

Vision of ruin and skull-filled palace

In a somber vision, he walks through a ruin-filled landscape and reaches a palace that is a dark underground passage filled with human skulls. He runs toward the light at the end of the passage and appears to fall back into the sea.

during vision vision sequence
10

Return to the sunlit palace and Penelope's echo

Waking again on a beach, he traverses land full of animals and greenery and arrives at his palace. In the atrium, a girl rolls a hoop, echoing a childhood memory, while a shadow of a woman places flowers in a vase. He whispers the name Penelope as the final image shows a woman folding fabric into a chest.

final moment palace atrium

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:31

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