Character Relationship Map: Nostalgia

Characters

• Andrei Gorchakov (played by Oleg Yankovskiy) — protagonist

  A Russian writer traveling through Italy to research an eighteenth-century composer, Andrei feels displaced and longs to return home. He befriends Domenico, receives his candle, and falsely claims to...

• Domenico (played by Erland Josephson) — protagonist

  A strange, alienated man living on the street after time in a lunatic asylum, Domenico is known for trying to cross a mineral pool with a lit candle to save the world. He befriends Andrei, entrusts hi...

• Eugenia (played by Domiziana Giordano) — supporting

  Andrei's interpreter in Italy, Eugenia accompanies him to the countryside and helps with his research journey. She is attracted to Andrei and offended when he rejects her, later calling to say goodbye...

• Andrei's Wife (played by Patrizia Terreno) — supporting

  Andrei's wife appears during a dream-like sequence in which his visions merge her image with Eugenia and a religious maternal figure. Though she has no independent action in the main events, her appea...

• Domenico's Wife (played by Delia Boccardo) — supporting

  Domenico's wife is part of the family he kept confined inside his house for seven years because he believed he was protecting them from the end of the world. Local police eventually freed the family,...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Domenico's Wife → Domenico (wife)
• Andrei's Wife → Andrei Gorchakov (wife)
• Andrei Gorchakov → Eugenia (Professional Interpreter) — Eugenia assists Andrei professionally during his Italian research journey.

  Eugenia travels with Andrei as his interpreter while he researches Pavel Sosnovsky in Italy.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Domenico → Eugenia (Social Acquaintance) — Domenico and Eugenia have a brief encounter that reconnects the mission to Andrei.

  Eugenia tells Andrei that she met Domenico in Rome by chance.

• Andrei Gorchakov → Domenico (Social Friend) — Their friendship develops through mutual alienation and spiritual recognition.

  Andrei meets and befriends Domenico, and they share a feeling of alienation from their surroundings.

Story Analysis

A displaced writer adopts an outsider's ritual, transforming cultural longing and spiritual isolation into a final act of devotion.

Plot Progression

1. A Stranger In Tuscany — Andrei researches Pavel Sosnovsky while traveling through Italy with Eugenia. His refusal to enter the convent and his longing for Russia establish his profound displacement.
2. The Candle And The Outcast — Andrei encounters Domenico, whose candle ritual expresses a desire to save the world. Their shared alienation deepens as Andrei learns about Domenico's past and accepts the candle.
3. Dreams Of One Identity — Andrei experiences a dream-like merging of identities and considers leaving Italy. Eugenia's call restores Domenico's unanswered question and forces Andrei to confront his promise.
4. The Sacrifice On The Hill — Domenico publicly demands brotherhood and simplicity before immolating himself. Eugenia arrives too late, while the spectacle becomes an unsettling imitation of suffering.
5. The Impossible Crossing — Andrei returns to the drained pool and attempts the crossing with Domenico's candle. He succeeds but collapses, and the final image joins his death to a quiet countryside.