War, Immortality, and the Idea of Home in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Presents:

War, Immortality, and the Idea of Home
in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Date: December 4, 2026
Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm
CEs: 3 Credits
Location: Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute
8 South Michigan Avenue, Floor 7
Chicago, IL 60603
Fee: $35.00

On this evening, we will be joined by Jeffrey Stern, PhD and Christine Sterkel, MD, faculty members at Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and lifelong Homeric devotees. Together they will lead a robust and lively psychoanalytic conversation inspired by Christopher Nolan’s recent epic, The Odyssey. We will watch selected scenes from the film that explore themes of loss, love, and what constitutes a meaningful life. Drs. Stern and Sterkel will offer their reflections on how these ancient themes continue to resonate in the consulting room, and invite the audience into the conversation.                      

Discussant(s): 
Jeffrey Stern, PhD
Christine Sterkel, MD

Educational Objectives:  
After attending this session, participants should be able to:  

1. Examine the psychological impact of war, including trauma, moral injury, and the long road of return, as portrayed in Nolan’s The Odyssey.
2. Assess the meaning of immortality and mortality as they bear on a meaningful life, using film excerpts to illustrate the themes of loss and love.
3. Evaluate the idea of home as both a place and an internal state, and its relevance to longing, belonging, and identity in clinical practice.