THE ATHEIST by WOJCIECH KUCHARCZYK

this is FAKE SCORES series volume TWO.

THE ATHEIST movie plot synopsis:

Historia jest oparta na faktach i autobiograficzna (jednak w raczej dość luźny sposób). Ale i nie brakuje w niej prawdziwego science-fiction. Bo do opowieści o tym, że boga nie ma potrzebny był lot w kosmos, a ten z punktu widzenia Polski jest, jak wiemy, dość utrudniony.
Dlatego też całość tego szkicowego scenariusza została napisana po angielsku. I mam nadzieję, a w zasadzie pewność, że wam to nie przeszkadza, jeśli doczytaliście już aż do tego momentu. Dziękuję.

This plot is based on the facts and its basis is autobiographical (in rather loosely way, but). But there was need for a plenty of room for the science-fiction ideas, as to tell that there is no god sometimes one must fly to space, such trip is very difficult to do if you take Poland (this country) as the point of start.

Once upon a time there was this boy, born and living in Katowice, Silesia, Poland. His family was very religious and pressing him to make many things he was always very uncomfortable with because of that. Since the early childhood he had this intuition, that something is wrong with the very idea of god as it brings only misery to the world.
So we have this scene, when in an altar boy outfit, standing in the middle of the muddy and dark forest he yells into the abyss of the frozen night, some time during winter of martial law era, early Eighties, his words are „if there is god, why i must stand here and none of my dreams can be fulfilled?!”. OK, naive, childish, but in the mouth of 12 years old boy enough dramatic, right?

Many dusks and dawns he managed to sneak out of home, usually just because he had his church duties often, so it was sometimes easy to use this as the simple excuse. During these small escapes he started to build his own spaceship instead of serving for a mass or other ritual in the church, spent many hours hidden behind the dense bushes and trees of small woods. Luckily this was forgotten and enough abandoned place, nobody was distorting him in the realization of his bold plans. It took many months and some heavy kilograms of junk and scraps of every kind to assemble something even close to the space ship. Anyway, somehow he manages to fly to the outer space, long story short, because this kid was interested in science very deeply, physics especially, to read books about such subjects was much more entertaining to him, than playing football or painting pictures in example. Sounds like a deep fantasy, innit, but this is the movie, remember.
All books in science themes boy have read, but also each and every one from the sci-fi department in the school library, adult stories including, some of the books he has read few times even, knowing some lines of whole chapters by heart. Such a boy.

Many scenes are dreamlike obviously, merging concepts taken from tv series like Cosmos 1999 with some elements from the very popular in that era tv pop-science show Sonda, but also fond memories of Star Wars seen on the by then biggest movie screen of Poland in Spodek hall in Katowice, most probably in 1978, but we watch some simple stories about nature and animals as well. And what is interesting, such scenes appear in strongly desaturated colors, because at that time television here was exclusively b&w, pale grey actually.

Boy is flying from planet to planet, meets various creatures, speaking with them, discussing the worlds, asking about various stuff, including their religious beliefs plus connected traumas and in most cases receiving answers stating in clear although alien language, that there is no god/s visiting this universe.
It those times idea of atheism was almost non existing, or was connected directly with all kinds of enemies of the nation by propagandas - on one hand they were communists, on another capitalists, depending who was telling what story when. But the boy was attracted somehow to this appealing concept of existence without god/s, as kid was forever outsider building DIY rockets in the depths of dark forest, belonging actually to nothing and nowhere, always asking himself - „what am i doing here?”. Loneliness was all right.

Later we see how he is growing older, making some bizarre battles with zombies (boy won because ordered some antibiotics to them once), learning new things coming from the world on Earth and beyond, listening to music A LOT and taking care about what some musicians have to say. Very important personas on his path were people connected with nature studies, environmentalists of every kind, ecologists and just the travelers. Most of them were praising the world within with all its beauty and just the beauty. Sometimes is enough just to look around yourself, it brings fine confidence in your existence. Sure, sometimes doubts arise. Anyway, only weak folks need some additional spiritual drug.

Sure, there are some ritualistic scenes in the movie too, some are simple caricatures of factual religious events, but some, like „funeral gamelan” are own inventions, instead of taking real drugs nice states of trance are available through sound, and after many space trips such cleansing was necessary from time to time, bringing additional joy to the explorations.

In general I think, many scenes and pictures in this THE ATHEIST movie can be very attractive to you, I know that this music score works on imagination and has its own allure. Am I sure? Why not. So, this plot synopsis sketch is more to open your own visions, anyway I prefer if you filter it thru your private experiences. And what is important it doesn’t matter if you are religious person, gnostic or the radical atheist like me myself, or your opinions scheme is even much different than these basic easy divisions. The only thing I am 100% sure is, that in every thing people do there is this seed of totally universal kind, which is connecting us with the root of everything, in the same way with the most distant past and simultaneously with secrets the furthest future will bring/show/give/promises.

Humankind is still in the early stage of understanding the universe and everything included within. Trying to have the mind open brought me to the point where I am now, but you are inside your position, besides that all is shifting every day, slower, faster, pace is freestyle fluid. Albeit I am sure about many things. But you are too, aren’t you?
So in the end credits there will be all the best wishes to the all people, who want this place in the universe to be enough pleasurable for all of us. Tools you choose by yourself, nothing is given automatically, nothing comes for granted. Work kings will manage. Zombies will cease.
I am sure. Progress exists.

BTW I have noticed, that you like if I give some casting propositions, so here we go:
The boy can be played by young Gaten Matarazzo or Jack Grazer, teachers can be by Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin (would be nice), alien creatures by many, for example Pedro Pascal, Jenna Ortega and Jordan Seamón, Bella Ramsey as the bit older kid (and crush) helping to escape from the church void once, wise librarian by Ana de Armas. Special appearance by Pola Raksa as the crazy nun (animated by AI of course) and the very special cameo by one and only Mark Hamill (in this scene, where the master encountered on this far away remote planet gives the precious advice to the young at heart).
Director? Who wants to be the director? Cool box office guaranteed!

© Wojciech Kucharczyk, April 2023.

pioneers of polish posteverything.

since 1993 or 95, pretty long time ago, nobody remembers well how it all started.
Kucharczyk recorded his first song in 1987 anyway…

enjoy!

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