A moving docudrama/fiction of a time and a place. The time is 1950's as 800 Greek political refugees and their children return to Greece after 35 years of exile. Director Xanthopoulos wastes no time in hitting you over the head with the basic theme which is the total contrast between the past and the present. This film is so deeply immersive, giving us an incredibly realistic portrayal of what life was like in those days. There are lots of little touches in the film and it has not been exploited for emotional reasons to stir forced emotions as template cinemas are meant to do. It is a captivating tale of a struggle of life and death played on a complex stage of geopolitics. In terms of production value, there is a lot to love about the realism. We're not flooded with grand images of landscapes, and even the beauty we see in the woods or fields has a natural ruggedness to it. A epic of the sweeping changes in values and material life brought on by the civil war. Praiseworthy in its physical scope, masterful direction, and the score by beautiful Eleni Karaindrou a regular in Theo Angelopoulos movies. This is stunning and remarkable film-making that will move you. Rest in peace Lefteris Xanthopoulos.
