As a cursed film, this science fiction masterpiece remains a curiosity in the already strange filmography of the Polish author, who has always focused on low-budget productions and creative independence.
It is a small local blockbuster that the director presented in 1977 before it was censored by the Polish government almost at the end of the shooting. It followed the commercial success of “L’important c’est d’aimer”, which was an ideological and stylistic reaction to “Star Wars”. This film was lost for a decade; Zulawski himself re-edited it in 1988 adding narration to fill in the undeniable narrative and production gaps. This version is now an authentic, obscure sci-fi classic, an experimental blockbuster studied by many aficionados. The film will be accompanied by a series of screenings of “Escape to the Silver Globe”, a documentary by Kuba Mikurda that explores the complex history of Zulawski’s works. It complements Zulawski’s cinematic vision and will be screened in the presence of the director on Thursday, November 24 at Nuovo Cinema Aquila, followed by a selection of works by students of the Łódź Film School.
