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When an old Communist fighter from the days of the Civil War (the 1967 rightist military take over) comes back to Greece from years of exile in Russia, his denial of the past and present causes behavior that frustrates his long-estranged family. He intends to go to the island of Cythera, Aphrodite's ancient center of worship, now rather ironically a place for pensioned seniors. But as the old man joins up with his son, daughter, and wife, he refuses to cooperate with them and will often be where they least expect to find him - his behavior is erratic and they are constantly following after him. This makes his journey to Cythera about as certain as his arriving at Kafka's castle. Director Theo Angelopoulos often sets an interior world against the exterior landscape, evoking a symbolism that is not easy to grasp - yet most viewers will be captivated by what they are seeing since it is the art of the film itself that dominates over any political or social statements.