Copyright by E. ZAMIATINE, PARIS[103]

D-503

Synopsis of a film scenario from the novel – „WE“ by ZAMIATIN, New York: E. P Dutton, Paris: Nouvelle Revue Franchise

A town constructed geometrically of glass. The houses are entirely transparent. It is as if there were no walls, you can see all the different rooms with their identical furniture and the people in them.

Men and women are both dressed in the same uniform made of dark grey material. Around the town is the „green wall“ a glass structure which shuts out the rest of the world in which are still found the elements of nature. No one from the new glass town has passed this wall for centuries.

We are transported into a period a thousand years from to-day. All the revolutions for which our generations wait have been successfully undergone. The whole of life is reasonable and ordered, including love itself. Each person is subject to medical examination and a certain sexual activity is accorded to each person on this basis. In this connection each individual is given a „pink certificate“ defining his or her sexual activity.

The fulfilment of sexual desire must be regulated by this certificate and any infringement of the regulations in this respect is treated by the state as a crime and punished as such.

Humanity, or at least the supreme authorities are so firmly convinced that the maximum of earthly happiness has been attained that they determine to transmit the secret of this happiness to other planets. With this idea in mind a rocket is designed under the direction of D-503 (names have of course been replaced by letters and numbers) which is destined to provide a means of communication with other planets. The present story centres around this rocket and its constructor.

D-503 is one of the most gifted engineers of his time and he seems to be a typical specimen of the happy, mecanised humanity of his time. One day during one of the scheduled outings made by fours to the sounds of music from the music factory, D-503 meets a woman y-330. There is something enigmatic about her that D-503 cannot explain, there is a certain mysterious irony about her which should by rights repel a perfect specimen of mecanised humanity such as himself but which, to his own astonishment, actually attracts him irresistibly to her. One day Y-330 presents him with the significant „pink certificate" and he goes to her room at the appointed time. As is customary under the circumstances, the glass walls are screened with blinds but instead of surrendering herself to him in the rational manner Y-330 merely excites him and keeps him at a distance.