Back in 1947, after the World War II, a french artist comes to Cyprus in search for his muse, Aphrodite, and finds love and beauty despite the strange mentality and wickedness of the locals.

SYNOPSIS:

During the drawback of the German Army through Poland, in 1945, MAURICE BRUELL, an artist and a dreamer, now a French lieutenant of the Allied army finds himself in the middle of an infernal attack. As he faces death he is saved by STAVROS, a proud greek from Cyprus and as falls in the ditch, he lands on STAVROS' knapsack smashing his baklama (mandolin), his only possession. Intoxicated by the sweet talking of his new friend MAURICE finds himself totally taken by the myth of Aphrodite and the beauty of the place she was born.

It is 1947, in a small village on the sunny island of Cyprus and STAVROS is still boring his neighbours with heroic stories about the war and about his french friend who promised to come one day to visit. Fate brings a letter from the city, announcing Maurice’s arrival in that very same day and STAVROS, proud, goes on to pick him from the harbour. On the way back MAURICE has the first encounter with the myth, as while passing by the birth place of the goddess, he spots thru his binoculars, a beautiful girl taking a bath into the sea. MAURICE arrives at the village and the locals throw a party to celebrate their first ever tourist.

MAURICE spends his time looking for his muse who he finally meets as the mysterious girl he saw before. Soon it turns out that MARIA, his muse, is actually STAVROS’ daughter and although a friend, but as any true Greek, STAVROS forbids Maria to see MAURICE again, considering this is a curse on his family. As he finds himself puzzled in between taking care of his family pride and being hospitable, STAVROS tries to please his friend and considers bringing him a model, but due to his misogynist beliefs he brings over LAKI, the queer of the village, offending MAURICE. Eventually, LAKI the Queer becomes good friends with MAURICE as he finds the French Tourist has a different modern western mentality. Although the official "hooker" of the village of whom everyone takes advantage, LAKI finds hard living amongst his fellows villagers as he is constantly mocked and denied mass by the village PRIEST and not even allowed to visit his parent’s graves in the Church’s Yard.

MAURICE keeps meeting MARIA in secret and the two fall in love, but things get complicated, once OLGA, the widow of the ex-post officer of the village, sets her eyes on him deciding to get him married with her daughter, APHROULA, to wash off the shame she brought over her family with being in love with the village shepherd: YANNIS, also STAVROS' son. After they attend a dancing ball in the city, once APHROULA and YANNIS decide to walk back home alone, the curse strikes as they meet a group of English drunk soldiers who rape APHROULA and arrest YANNIS for trying to oppose them. The incident turns LAKI into a hero, as he finally regains his respect and the right to be burried in the Church's yard, after dying while saving APHROULA, who after the rape was set on fire in the house where the atrocity took place. MAURICE helps YANNIS get out of prison, as he finds out that the English military attaché is his ex battalion commander from the war days. YANNIS is freed, but he declines coming back to the village as during his arrest he became acquainted to a revolutionary group from the mountains that he is now convinced he has to join and fight for the island's independence.

STAVROS finally accepts MAURICE'S request to marry MARIA and therefore they plan for a wedding towards the end of the season. STAVROS becomes suspicious again, when MAURICE decides to go to France and bring his mother over for the event. Back in France, MAURICE’S FATHER, an ex minister in the Vichy government is executed after a trial against the traitors of war. The Mother suffers deeply and refuses to give him her blessing. MAURICE sets to write a letter to MARIA.

APHROULA and MARIA, working the fields share the same pain. At the post office, OLGA receives MAURICE'S letter in which he announces his arrival as well as a letter for the bank where from she would have to redraw money to buy a house. OLGA, now much wicked than ever, sets up a new plot with the PRIEST as she decides to get a house she owns ready for him and force the situation to her benefit.

As MAURICE arrives back to Cyprus OLGA comes to pick him up and feeding him some lies she takes him to the bank, redraws the money and has him signing a contract as she sells him the house. The same day a big riot bursts into town as rebels attack the English prison and free the other revolutionary. YANNIS is a wanted man. OLGA and MAURICE arrive in the village which is now crowded with English troops looking for the rebels. OLGA settles MAURICE in the house and tells him to wait. As night falls, YANNIS and the rebels attack the village. OLGA sends APHROULA to hide in the house the girl knew to be uninhabited. MAURICE receives APHROULA and tells her to hide in, but concerned, he gets out and goes to look for STAVROS and MARIA. As more English troops arrive YANNIS needs to hide.Through the aftermath MAURICE meets YANNIS and tells him where to go to find APHROULA. Unaware of the changes OLGA, who sticks to her plan, brings the PRIEST over to the house to be a witness as they think they will catch MAURICE and APHROULA . They find APHROULA and YANNIS in bed and with the English Soldiers at her door, OLGA has to give up her plan.

Time has passed. There is no word on YANNIS and STAVROS is concerned. Everybody is getting ready for the wedding. Suddenly outside the church there is a riot. YANNIS and his boys arrive. Just after MAURICE and MARIA are married, YANNIS asks the PRIEST to wed him with APHROULA. There is a big party and everybody gets drunk as usually, especially the PRIEST. As night falls MAURICE meets STAVROS out on the beach. He gives STAVROS a present he picked up from the City, a small backlama (mandolin) and they share a last drink of “jivania” as he asks him to play. STAVROS plays the backlama as MAURICE begins to dance.