Sexmission

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Sexmission (Polish: Seksmisja) is a 1984 Polish satirical science-fiction comedy directed by Juliusz Machulski. It follows two friends, Max Paradys and Albert Starski, who volunteer for a cryogenic sleep experiment and wake up in the year 2044 to find a world run entirely by women and where men are said to be extinct.

Plot in simple terms:
- Max and Albert discover that a war and a genetic accident left men nearly gone. The women control society and claim to protect equality, but the men are kept under tight supervision.
- Max falls for Lamia Reno, a female commander, while the pair learn that the regime’s rules and history have been manipulated.
- They learn that the supposed extinction of men involved a genetic weapon, and they face pressures to undergo “naturalization” (sex-change surgery) or be punished.
- The women’s council rewrites history and tries to keep male influence out of society. Max and Albert escape multiple times and meet other women who resist the regime.
- A key twist reveals that Her Excellency, the top leader, is actually a man in disguise who has led the female-dominated regime to stay in power.
- The men seek a way to challenge the system, discover surprising truths about the outside world, and try to preserve life for both sexes. The story blends humor with political satire about power, gender, and control.

Themes and style:
- The film is a bold parody of totalitarianism, Cold War politics, and gender politics, using jokes, visual gags, and wordplay. It’s known for its imaginative humor and provocative ideas.

Reception and legacy:
- Sexmission became a cult classic in Poland, celebrated for its entertainment value and daring satire. It won the 1984 Złota Kaczka award and was voted by readers in 2005 as one of the best Polish films of the last decades, though critics debated its anti-feminist implications and its portrayal of power.
- It also gained attention outside Poland, including in Hungary, and has left a mark on Polish pop culture; some lines from the movie even appeared in later translations in Shrek 2.

Cast and creators:
- Directed by Juliusz Machulski; written by Juliusz Machulski, Jolanta Hartwig, and Pavel Hajný. The cast includes Olgierd Łukaszewicz, Jerzy Stuhr, Bożena Stryjkówna, Bogusława Pawelec, Hanna Stankówna, and Beata Tyszkiewicz. Music by Henryk Kuźniak, cinematography by Jerzy Łukaszewicz, and editing by Miroslawa Garlicka.