After spending 10 years in prison, the political activist Ali returns home. His family is eagerly waiting for him, hoping that he will save them from the tyranny of his older brother, Tolba. However, soon they must realize that Ali’s morale and idealism have been replaced by conformity and apathy.

One of Egyptian auteur Youssef Chahine’s most multi-layered films, Return of the Prodigal Son is at once an incisive domestic drama about the inner workings of a family and a stylish musical replete with melodramatic intrigue that is entirely inseparable from its sociopolitical context.