At the packed Olympion theater, the screening of the film The Return took place on Saturday, November 2nd, attended by its two radiant protagonists and the Festival’s esteemed guests, Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, as well as the director, Uberto Pasolini. In The Return, the two remarkable actors join forces for the third time, after the films Wuthering Heights and The English Patient.
The film was presented by the Festival’s Head of Programming, Yorgos Krassakopoulos. “We are delighted to present a film we loved. It is an unpredictable adaptation of the last rhapsody from Homer's Odyssey, which I think will be extremely to your liking. The Return will be released in Greek theaters on November 28th, 2024, by the distribution company Rosebud.21,” he initially stated, before welcoming the film’s cast and crew. Then, the film’s director, Uberto Pasolini, protagonists Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, co-producer Konstantinos Kontovrakis, actor Pavlos Iordanopoulos, and DoP Marius Panduru took the stage.
Uberto Pasolini first addressed the audience, prior to the start of the film. “It's incredible that we're here, as it is that we're bringing Homer back to Greece. You are the ones who should have made the film! But thanks to Juliette and Ralph, we made it first. I hope to see you again after the screening in order to discuss the film, and inspire you to read the Odyssey once more. To delve even deeper into the story than we did. I’d like to thank the Greek cast that worked with us for so many weeks. In addition to Corfu’s landscape, the trees, the sea, and the wind, all the people participating were also a source of inspiration for us. The film is making its debut in Greece, and we are eager to see whether you’ll rate it in a positive or negative manner,” the director humorously said.
A Q&A with the cast and crew followed the end of the screening. Replying to a question on how the “adventurous journey” of The Return began, Uberto Pasolini said: “It started about... 2,000 years ago, if I'm not mistaken. If you're European, and not a European I must add, literature starts with Homer. You may think that Homer is yours, but he is ours too, he is universal. We don’t have mythology in Italy, and as such we grew up with our parents reading Greek myths to us, and more specifically, with this tale that ‘stays’ with you, and over time you gradually discover elements that you resonate with. The Odyssey is about family, about being a child, a son, a mother, a father, a couple. On my part, it was important to create something meaningful both for me, and for you. And even more so, as we were adapting a text we consider to be sacred. Perhaps we got to know it in school, only to leave it in the hands of academics and teachers. Therefore, we attempted to introduce it back into our lives," the director pointed out.
Next, Juliette Binoche spoke about the way she approached the character of Penelope. “When I was invited to participate in this film, I accepted because I initially read the script and loved it from the get go. Furthermore, working with Ralph was very significant for me. After talking to the director, who had a very clear vision about how he wished to convey the story, it seemed quite interesting to me to portray a woman on an inner journey resisting the pull of despair, while still remaining full of hope and anger. All the emotions were there. With some help from Uberto and Ralph, as well as the entire cast, I managed to unlock them.”
Next, Ralph Fiennes took the baton, and touched upon his own connection and relationship with the character of Odysseus. “Similarly to Uberto, I was also introduced to the myth at a young age, loving the stories about the Trojan War, as well as the characters. Years later, I met this remarkable director, who had developed a project quite different from a typical adaptation of the Odyssey, as he wanted to focus on the finale of the story. John Collee and Edward Bond’s script is not something one encounters often. There is no Athena serving as a guiding force for Odysseus. The script crafts a new, barren, and harsh world, while Uberto’s aesthetic approach was also very interesting to me, because he didn’t just attempt to reproduce the Odyssey. On the contrary, he interpreted its ending in his own way, providing us with intricate insights into his psyche. I hope you realize that the film’s Odysseus is a man cut off from his inner self. He returns home, yet he is unsure if he will be able to remain there. He is unsure whether he can fight his enemies. He is unable to reveal his identity to his wife. He has what we call post-traumatic stress disorder from the war that has devoured his soul. I was very enthused by all these elements brought to the fore by Uberto, in combination with Marius Panduru’s cinematography. So, it all started with the brilliant script and the actors. I truly believe in the world Uberto created."
When asked whether they chose the film for the chance to act alongside each other one more time, Juliette Binoche initially alluded to their teaming up in The English Patient. In particular, addressing Ralph Fiennes, she told him in a humorous manner, “I heal you every time,” and she went on to add: “I feel both a great sense of responsibility and such joy because it is so lovely to be embodying this woman. What it's like to wait for someone to come back. It was all so very unique in this movie, given the script, Uberto's directorial gaze, Ralph, and all the actors. Uberto wanted to get rid of all the superficial and conventional elements, and it resulted in a wonderful film. He wanted to capture the essence of the characters and bring them to life, making them relatable, and open emotionally. We are long-time friends with Ralph, there wasn’t even the slightest tension between us. On his part, Ralph Fiennes mentioned: “We have been friends with Juliette long before The English Patient, and our energies converge. It's interesting that in the Odyssey they pray to the gods, they sacrifice themselves. This idea that another force is guiding you, a breeze that when you veer off course brings you right back on track, came to the forefront when we were discussing how to work together again. This breeze reunited us."
On whether they did any specific research in anticipation of the roles they would play, Ralph Fiennes noted: “I didn’t do any research because the first step is to engage your imagination. When you take on roles that carry quite heavy connotations, in addition to having been portrayed by other actors in the past, you must leave everything behind and employ a new approach. The director will naturally provide you with ideas, but mainly, it’s your own internal process. You must be open with the other actors because no kind of research will be able to prepare you for how Juliette Binoche may react. I had to ooze both physical and mental fatigue in the role, and I feel like I primarily followed my instincts." As for what proved to be a challenge for him when playing the role of Odysseus, the renowned English actor remarked: “My hero is battling with himself, so tackling this mental state was challenging, since we are not dealing with an ordinary warrior. This particular man is uncertain of how to proceed, he finds himself in a state of confusion. He's struggling to learn and discover who he is, his new identity – and there lies the difficulty."
“The couple of days I spent in Corfu were invaluable so I could familiarize myself with the landscape. Memories, imagination, and what is occurring at present – considering that acting is the art of the present – helped me. I made an agreement with Uberto. He had very particular ideas for how he wanted me to portray my role, and I had to find ways to change his mind. Our agreement was that I could approach the role the way I wanted to for the first three scenes, without adhering to any suggestions or guidelines. I followed my heart, since I had expressive freedom. If he didn’t like my approach, I would do whatever he asked from the fourth scene onwards,” Juliette Binoche added.
Uberto Pasolini remarked later that “Juliette was fantastic and generous with her role, and she was almost always right. I would look at the scenes that had been filmed and I would find them better than the way I had them planned out in my mind.” As for whether there is another hero from Greek mythology he would like to bring to the big screen, the film’s director stated: “We must let filmmakers from Greece take on the duty of tackling this subject matter.”
A brief overview of the film:
The Return draws inspiration from the epic tale of Odysseus' return to Ithaca. Twenty years after the start of the Trojan War, Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) washes up on the shores of his homeland, completely unrecognizable and worn. However, in the interim, much has changed on his island since his departure. His beloved Penelope (Juliette Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by ambitious suitors pressuring her to choose a new husband. Their son, Telemachus, who has grown up fatherless, is facing death at the hands of the suitors who perceive him as nothing but an obstacle in their relentless pursuit of Penelope and the throne. Odysseus must face his past and his wounds to find the strength to save his family and his kingdom.
