A filmmaker, tired of fiction films, is searching for a story with substance. He attaches himself to Spyros, an old man selling bunches of lavender on the street—a ex-communist who had sought political asylum in the Soviet city of Tashkent and who has returned to his homeland after 32 years of exile. Visiting his village, which he defended with his life during the war, he witnesses a great selling-out—of land and ideas. He tries to intervene, but cannot come to terms with modern reality. Isolated, unable to communicate with his children or the people around him, Spyros has only his wife, faithful and patient Penelope, who follows him to the end—on his final voyage.

Theo Angelopoulos (1935-2012) was one of the most important Greek auteurs. He studied law at the University of Athens and cinema in Paris (Sorbonne and IDHEC). His films have been screened at many international festivals and have won many awards and distinctions, while he and his work hold an important place in world cinema and film literature.