On the Silver Globe

A group of astronauts crash-land on an alien planet and establish a new civilization. Several generations later, a new traveler from Earth arrives on the planet and is hailed as a messiah—but the promised salvation proves to be brutal.

Andrzej Zulawski’s epic film is based on a trilogy of novels by his great-uncle, Jerzy Zulawski. Presented here in a newly restored 4K version, the film stands as a chilling testament to state censorship. Before it was completed, production was halted by the Polish authorities. Nearly a decade later, Zulawski resumed work on finishing the film, using his own voiceover to describe the scenes that were never shot.

Although the film remains unfinished, it is one of the most mysterious and visionary works in cinema history. With hypnotic imagery, ecstatic performances, and violent depictions of a civilization in decay, it is a grand, chaotic, and poetic epic about humanity’s eternal longing for meaning, power, and salvation.