Havana at sunset. Five friends have gathered for the first time in years on the rooftop of a building looking down at the city to celebrate the return of Amadeo after 16 years of exile. From dusk till dawn, they reminisce about the political convictions they held during their youth and the disillusionment that followed until an unexpected secret is exposed. The lively mood at the beginning of the film gradually shifts into a tone of unease with a revelation from the past. The formal challenge of storytelling that relies mainly on dialogue within the confines of the rooftop is impressively handled by veteran French auteur Laurent Cantet, who shot the entire film on location in Cuba. The truth disclosed at the end of the film touches upon the ordeal every Cuban artist has had to deal with under dictatorship and the friendship that shone brilliantly amid it all. The title refers to the Greek hero Odysseus’ journey home to, which Amadeo’s return after years of wandering is compared. (RHEE Soue-won)