Die Reise nach Kythera

Theo Angelopoulos' Voyage to Cythera is by every metric a hauntingly beautiful work of art; both visually and thematically. It's a movie that screams despair, yet has a very unique sense of serenity throughout.

Voyage to Cythera tells the story of a director who is making a movie about his father's return to Greece after decades of separation in exile, and the movie itself in which the director finds himself playing the lead. There's a lot of complexity in how this movie is handled, but is put together so expertly that you never feel burdened with having to keep track of what's going on. And yes, towards the final act, it moves (or maybe deviates?) into a more chaotic and crowded style of narration; one that I'm not yet sure if I resonated with as much as the former... but the themes and motifs that have been so consistent throughout, hold this movie quite tightly together leaving us with an experience so personal and so nostalgic.

It's simple. It's beautiful.