Jonas Mekas’ film about returning to his homeland after years of exile is a journey—not just in the physical sense. What does a person find when they go back to a place they left behind? The streets of their childhood, the garden of their home, their past… but perhaps most of all, the traces that time has left.

The film moves forward not with nostalgia or bitterness, but with a quiet sense of acceptance. As Lithuania’s still countryside comes back to life through his camera, Mekas’ voice converses with his memories. Old houses, roads, faces—all of them may have changed, but the feeling in his eyes remains the same.

Longing runs through the film like a slow current. There are no sudden outbursts, no grand emotional displays. Like his handheld camera, his storytelling feels natural: delicate, spontaneous, sincere. A film that resonates with anyone who has ever left home. Returning is never truly returning. When a person goes back to a place, they realize the one returning is no longer the same. Maybe Mekas knew this—and sought refuge in his camera to accept it.

Sometimes, returning is just ing.