Sexmission

Juliusz Machulski

Poland, 1983

REVIEWS

Hibernated Max and Albert wake up after 50 years – after the nuclear war – in an underground, technology-rich society, consisting only of women. Our protagonists are archaeological objects but they pose an erotic threat to the world where males became useless thanks to parthenogenesis. As their only choice is: change sex or die, Albert and Max decide to run away.

THE DIRECTOR

Juliusz Machulski

A film director, screenplay writer and film producer, initially also an actor (born in 1961). In the years 1973-74, he studied Polish philology at the University of Warsaw. In the years 1984-1985 he studied at Cal-Arts in California. In 1988 he founded and became an art director of “Zebra” film studio. In 1993 he was a lecturer of film directing in Hunter College in New York. In the years 1989-91 a member of the Polish Cinema Committee. A member of the Executive Board of the Association of Polish Filmmakers. A member of the Polish Film Academy. A member of the European Film Academy (EFA). In the years 2005-2008 and in the years 2011-2014 a member of the Polish Institute of the Film Art.

FILMOGRAPHY

  • Vabank (1981)
  • Sexmission (1983)
  • Vabank II, czyli riposta (1984)
  • Kingsajz (1987)
  • Deja vu (1990)
  • V.I.P. (1991)
  • Szwadron (1992)
  • Girl Guide (1995)
  • Kiler (The Hitman) (1997)
  • Kiler-ów 2-óch (Two Killers) (1999)
  • Pieniądze to nie wszystko (2001)
  • Superprodukcja (2003)
  • Vinci (2004)
  • Ile waży koń trojański? (2008)
  • Kołysanka (2010)
  • AmbaSSada (2013)

Director and main actors remembers

Juliusz Machulski 

I was looking for an idea for a science fiction film – says Juliusz Machulski about writing a scenario of his comedy. – In October 1977 I was on the train on the way to Budapest to the festival of students’ short films. I know exactly what time it was – for sure before the train reached Koluszki because my friends from Łódź got on it there. I had a book „Perspectives of the 21st Century”. I reached the chapter on genetics and this is where I first came across parthenogenesis. I had a feeling this is a good track: only women… What happens next? Without men? What kind of world is it? But there is no conflict, so there must be a man. But one is not enough – we need two to make comments about the world. But how come they are there? They must somehow travel to the future. I thought that they were launched into space and flying in a rocket for only five years while on Earth 60 years passed. I could already imagine that… But no! It was hardly possible in the filmmaking conditions in Poland. Hibernation then. This solution was much less costly!

Source: http://wyborcza.pl/1,75410,17415965,Jubilatka_stulatka_Danuta_Szaflarska_wspomina_filmowy.html?disableRedirects=true

Jerzy Stuhr
“It was a coincidence that I starred in Sexmission” – he adds. “I was the last person casted to the film, all the other roles were occupied. One day Julek Machulski met me in the street and offered the role of Max, despite Mr Jerzy Kawalerowicz advising against this idea. His argument was that I am an actor of the cinema of moral anxiety and with all that background I will make the film more socially inclined. Mr Kawalerowicz did not know me well. He did not know about my cabaret work and he did not know my sense of humour. This gave me the right to star in the film”.

Olgierd Łukaszewicz
“Julek Machulski created the protagonist, Albercik, for me. He told me about his idea. It is such a delight for an actor when a young director writes, as it later turned out, in a quite satirical way. This was a joke about me – he saw an idealist boy scout in me and made a parody on that, and I willingly picked up this idea.”
Źródło: http://film.interia.pl/wiadomosci/news-seksmisja-25-lat-pozniej,nId,1787357#utm_source=paste&utm_medium=paste&utm_campaign=firefox

DETAILS

Director: Juliusz Machulski

Writing credits: Juliusz Machulski

Art Direction: Jerzy Lukaszewicz

Editing: Miroslawa Garlicka

Music: Henryk Kuzniak

Duration: 116’

Color: Colour

Cast:
Jerzy Stuhr
Olgierd Lukaszewicz
Bozena Stryjkowna
Hanna Stankowna
Beata Tyszkiewicz
Wieslaw Michnikowski
Hanna Mikuc

REFERENCES

Juliusz Machulski, Hitman, Warszawa 2012, pp. 205-206

Malgorzata Dipont, Trzymajcie sie chlopaki, Zycie Warszawy 1984, no. 122

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