W.R.: MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM [W.R. – MISTERIJE ORGANIZMA] (1971) Yugoslav poster

W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism. Vintage original 27 1/4 x 19 1/4″ (69.2 x 49 cm) poster, Yugoslavia. Jackie Curtis, Tuli Kupferberg, dir: Dušan Makavejev. One horizontal fold, with signs of handling along fold line, overall very good.

Original Yugoslav poster for one of the wild, anarchistic films of the early 1970s, and one of the hallmarks of Yugoslav cinema.

[This film] “explores the relationship between communist politics and sexuality, as well as presenting the controversial life and work of Austrian-American psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957). The film’s narrative structure is unconventional, intermixing fictional and documentary elements.”

“After initial screenings, both in and out of Yugoslavia, W.R. was banned in that country for the next 16 years. Makavejev was subsequently indicted there on criminal charges of ‘derision’ towards ‘the state, its agencies, and representatives’ after he made intemperate remarks to a West German newspaper about the ban. His exile from his home country then became permanent until the end of the regime.” (Wikipedia)

The repeated image of Warhol transgendered superstar Jackie Curtis are her first images on a movie poster.