Stanisław Kwaskowski

Made in 1982, shelved for five years. Story opens with Lucja Krol's husband under the tram. She gives birth to her fourth son on the floor of their new apartment. Neighbor Wiktor, a communist intellectual, befriends the poverty-stricken family but is soon arrested and sent to jail. During the war Lucja narrowly escapes a Nazi roundup at the black market. Her sons hold ardent Communist meetings in their apartment, with her blessing. Lucja works hard, but without complaint. After the war, Klemens is inexplicably arrested, accused by the new regime of being a collaborator. Wiktor, now a high-ranking party member, trying to defend him, himself falls into disgrace. Klemens is tortured to "confess" and dies in jail, a Communist to the end. Lucja is never told about his fate.

In the last days of the war an old train driver and his young assistant carry weapons to Polish soldiers on the western front.

Nikodem Dyzma is a poor dancer who comes to Warsaw to find a job. The problem is that nobody wants to hire him. One day he finds an invitation to the party with very important people and decides to attend. A small accident at the party makes him the hero of the night and becomes the beginning of his career.

The fate of a German found by the French peasants - a deserter from the Legion of Foreign Affairs fighting in Vietnam.

Karwowski, son of a pre-war colonel, is transferred from the West to Poland with the task of assembling a spy and diversion network. The task seems to be easy. However, after landing in Poland, it turns out that nobody wants to cooperate with him. Karwowski's "100% reliable" contacts with potential collaborators turn out to be completely outdated.