Ferdydurke

Synopsis

Thirty-year-old Joe is abducted by schoolteacher Pimko and placed in a school where “daily universal impotence” is drummed into the students.

This institutional belittlement exposes Joe to the brutality of the social, cultural, and political pretensions of both teachers and classmates. Trapped between the expectations of others and the perils of solitude, Joe finds refuge in his own childishness. Based on Gombrowicz’s surreal autobiographical novel, Skolimowski’s film brings to wonderful comic life Joe’s escape from the school, his bizarre visit to the country estate of his relatives, and the ultimate flight with his cousin beneath the giant buttocks that have usurped the sun.

Also known as: 30 Door Key.