TABOO - TRANSGRESSION - TRANSCENDENCE

After his international success of That Most Important Thing: Love (L’important c’est d’aimer, 1975), Polish director Andrzej Żuławski returned to Poland in 1976 to begin production on his ambitious sci-fi epic The Silver Globe (Na srebrnym globie). Based on a novel by his great-uncle, Jerzy Żuławski, the film was conceived as a dark, avant-garde, and visually extravagant exploration of human existence. Set in a distant future, the narrative follows a group of astronauts who attempt to colonize a mysterious planet, only to encounter savage, mythical beings inhabiting a barbaric yet mystical society. This stark contrast between a futuristic world and an archaic, violent civilization provides the backdrop for a philosophical inquiry into freedom, existential despair, and the human condition. At the same time, the film subtly critiques authoritarianism and societal control. However, production was abruptly halted by Polish authorities in 1977, who deemed its themes politically dangerous. Many of the film’s sets, costumes, and props were destroyed, leaving the project incomplete. In 1988, Żuławski returned to the film and presented a fragmented, rough version of what remained. This paper examines The Silver Globe as an enigmatic, unfinished work, exploring its aesthetic excesses, political subtext, and the impact of censorship on its development.