OU Department of Classics and Religious Studies and Athens Public Library Present: THE RETURN with Dr. Fred Drogula

Watch Trailer Director: Uberto Pasolini
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer

Join us on Tuesday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m. for a special event screening of an epic re-telling of the classical myth of Odysseus!

The event will include opening remarks from Todd Bastin of the Athens Public Library, in addition to a presentation and discussion by Dr. Fred Drogula, Charles J. Ping Professor of Humanities and Professor of Classics.

Admission is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required

Tickets are available for pick-up during our normal business hours, in-person in our lobby prior to and at the event

About the film

From award-winning Italian director Uberto Pasolini comes a fresh re-telling of Homer’s classic epic poem The Odyssey starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, and Charlie Plummer.

Bruised and battle-scarred from a 20-year absence wherein he fought in The Trojan War and spent years at sea trying to get home, Greek hero Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of his native Ithaca, a shadow of his former, mighty self. While it is satisfying to feel the ground of his homeland beneath his feet once again, all is not well in his kingdom: His wife, Penelope (Binoche), is beset by suitors who have been trying for years to undermine her resolve to wait for her husband’s return and who threaten the life of her son, Telemachus, lest he vie for his right to sit on the throne of his father. So that he may win back control of his realm, the wily Odysseus must use his skills as a fearless warrior and his indomitable cunning to rid Ithaca of all who fail to herald the return of its long lost king.

Filmed on location in Greece, The Return is a much-needed modern update to one of the greatest stories from ancient times!

About the speaker

Since 2018, Dr. Drogula has held the honor of being the Charles J. Ping Professor of Humanities and Professor of Classics at Ohio University. Having earned a PhD from the University of Virginia, he has published numerous articles examining the history, culture, and religion of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. Additionally, he is the author of two recently published books: Commanders and Command in the Roman Republic and Early Empire (Chapel Hill Press, 2015) and Cato: A Life at the Collapse of the Roman Republic (Oxford University Press, 2019).