Synopsis
JULIJA, 25, Lithuanian girl arrives to NY for a month to write her MA thesis about her favorite artist and her ideal George Maciunas, a leader of a humorous art movement FLUXUS, which was popular in NY in 60s' and 70s'. From what Julija heard she thinks that George's life was funny as his art and her thesis is called "George Maciunas life - another Fluxus game". When she arrives to NY, she is very exited to meet her thesis tutor, JONATHAN, 45, a fluxus art expert and a curator of FLUXUS collection in MOMA.
Jonathan is also very exited to meet Julija, she is the only student in many years who chose to write about George. However, Jonathan completely disagrees with the premise of her thesis: "George's life was too tragic too be called a game!". When Julija insists on her topic, Jonathan allows her to write - but warns her that she will have to work hard to prove her hypothesis.
Julija, doesn't like to work hard, she came to NY to enjoy and to feel Fluxus spirit in her own skin: she joins Fluxus youth group and goes around city doing crazy performances with them, visiting galleries and talking with people on the street. Therefore, very soon she starts hating Jonathan for pressuring her to read boring theory books and write in a dry analytic style. She is convinced that her tutor doesn't understand Fluxus philosophy – for her it is all about enjoying and living the moment. Jonathan, who sacrificed all his personal life for collecting, describing and filling Fluxus archive, on another hand is convinced that Julija is lazy, hopeless student and a spoiled girl who misunderstands the artist – for him George has been a very productive, self sacrificing artist in the first place.
Arguing about one person whom they both admire Jonathan and Julija spend more and more time together, sometimes forgetting their differences and enjoy their moments. Sexual tension appears between them. But none of them act on it - Jonathan as her tutor forces Julija to work and she is trying to do the best she can.
Instead of reading a huge list of memoir books, Julija decides to interview George's friend Jonas herself and invites Jonathan to join her, since he never met him. Jonas is convinced that George's life was very funny and he tells Jonathan that he should read about George one more time. Jonathan feels humiliated. Furthermore, inspired by their visit, Julia challenges Jonathan's choice of profession, daring to doubt the meaning of his studies. Jonathan get angry and gives Julija more work.
Julija is trying finish her thesis but the endless transcriptions, works, analyzes given by her tutor make her hate Fluxus art, NY and George. Julia can not handle it - she understands that she hates this work and there is no point of writing her thesis. She decides to quit writing and to spend her last week enjoying NY.
Jonathan feels guilty of destroying young girls joy of life and love for Fluxus and George. He invites her to a trip to country side – to visit George Maciunas’s wife and to pick a part of the remaining collection, which he did during the last years of his life when he was suffering from cancer. Julija agrees.
When Julija helps Jonathan to pack things she is surprised by the amount of work George did. Julija finds a smile machine there – it is a garment that forces a smile if put into one's mouth. George did it before dying, suffering in pain.
They meet George's wife and she tells them the story of the end of George's life. Despite the fact he got married a month before his death - he died a virgin – he was too sick to make love even if he wanted. George died completely alone, his wife and his mother were not with him, but he still managed to be cheerful and make jokes. Julija and Jonathan both cry and laugh listening to the story. It seems that they both understood another part of George and understood each other.
Julija decides to finish her thesis and closes in her room for days. She does FLUXUS thesis – using impressions and moments of NY that she had. When Jonathan read her thesis – he agrees to write her a good grade with one condition – she will not become an art historian herself. Julija tells him that she is planning to enter art studies again. They hug and kiss on the cheeks closer to the lips for good bye.
Julija leaves NY tired and sad - she finds a smile machine in her pocket and she puts it into her mouth. Jonathan invites his work colleague for a walk in a park, which he haven't done for a years.