Original subtitles

He's in Krakow for lectures.

Krakow, Yagiellonian University, November 1967

In closing,

the famous sentence, that Cicero said once:

Historiam nescire hoc est semper puerum esse.

"To be ignorant of history is like always being a child. "

Nothing is wrong with it, I think.

To be a child means not to reconcile oneself with evil

and always to look to the future with hope.

Thank you.

What's this? A scar?

- A souvenir from childhood. - I know nothing about you.

It's hardly an interesting story. Not worth returning to.

You know what they call a virgin in the orphanage?

No.

She's the one who runs faster than they chase her.

Ever wanted to run away from here?

- Hi! - Hi.

- Your name day? - No.

Women receive flowers not only on special occasions.

- He's popped the question? - Dorota...

Go, Gwardia! Go!

Your place or mine?

I think it shouldn�t be your place or mine any more.

- Someone could notice us. - I was asking where to?

I've been living with him since Thursday.

- With whom? - Warczewski, the mark.

No, Roman.

Fuck!

You think they're able to ban The Forefathers' Eve?

They can do anything.

Gotcha!

- I wondered when you did it. - What?

Catullus said, "Nulla dies sine linea."

Not a day without writing a line.

I was curious when you wrote yours.

Show me.

- Show me. - Not until it's over.

- What's it going to be? - A short story.

Maybe about us?

I'll become a literary character at last.

- Come on write... Tea? - No.

Get the fuck out of here! Fuck off!

Walk up to the window to see if the first star is on.

- I'll help in the kitchen. - Everything's ready, but if you're...

In the meantime, I'll have vodka.

Is this you Adam? Vodka?

- Why, we'll have herring, yes, Mom? - We will. So what of it?

- Fish likes to swim. - Filleted too?

My God... How long ago it was...

Our wedding.

My husband Karol, God rest his soul,

died well before the war.

Why should I tell you such sorrows...?

Something merrier soon. Take a look, please.

- What a pretty child Adam was. - Mom, please.

- Why, it's very interesting. - His baptism, first Communion...

- What's this uniform? - Austrian.

My husband Karol Wajner,

was a clerk at an Austrian post office.

- Presentable in that uniform. - When will Santa Claus...?

Exactly! Dorotka, run to the door and see if he has arrived.

He's not there.

He dropped in while you were away.

- Through the chimney... Look! - Presents!

Excuse me I must leave...

I promised someone, an elderly person...

Thank you for everything and Merry Xmas.

You didn't tell me.

Miss Kamila has a good deed to do.

You heard her. Does she have to explain?

I'll walk you...

Once again Merry Xmas. Excuse me.

- Kamila, wait. What happened? - Nothing.

Nothing? What did I do?

You did nothing. Adam, please... I'm just not ready yet...

- It's too early. - Too early?

He is important to you.

You are important to me. Understand it, please.

I just need some time.

I'll wait.

What is this?

"I've ascertained that the mark is not a Zionist

He is not a Jew at all. Wajner is an Austrian name

and the family's been Catholic throughout generations. "

Who's interested?

- This is the truth. - Bullshit!

- Either the truth or a lie! - Who are you siding with?

With me, us, or them?!

When we say he's a Zionist, then he is. Got that?

If they said that about you, it'd make no difference to you?

Fuck it!!! Sorry.

I can only wipe my ass with such a report.

Little Rose, the going was so good.

I thought that you were really up to something.

Don't do any nonsense and all will come up roses.

Let go!

Little Rose! I said sorry!

Warsaw, New Year's Eve 1 967

Attention, ladies and gentlemen.

We begin the countdown:

10, 9, 8,

7, 6, 5, 4,

3, 2, 1!

Dear Comrades.

Our first response to this calendar change of time

is expressed by the question:

What's this New Year going to be like?

What'll it bring to everyone of us, our country and nation,

to the world and mankind?

I wonder what to wish you.

You have everything: health, beauty, talent...

I'd rather wish myself

to see you by my side as long as possible.

You're a darling. Happy New Year, Adam.

I'm dizzy. Shall we go out for fresh air?

- isn�t that your...? - No matter. Let's go.

Hello! Long time no see!

Hello.

Happy New Year!

All the best.

May all your plans be realized.

How does the land lie in the leather business?

Excuse me?

In your trade. The foreign trade.

Thank you. Everything's fine.

- How you doing, Kamila? - Everything's fine.

We'd gladly drink a glass to our encounter,

but my pals are waiting.

- All the best. - Happy New Year.

Sympathetic. His taste, however, has deteriorated.

Could we go now? I'm not feeling well.

- Why? Already? - I have a headache.

- Pop a pill. - I want to go home, Adam.

Calm down. It's a New Year's Eve.

I'm going...

Subtitle by Aldi Arman

Kamila, wait!

Kamila! Ouch!

- Adam! What's wrong? - It's my leg.

Wait. Don't move. Can you get up?

The ideal has hit the pavement.

What's going on here?

I need help. He must've broken his leg.

- Your ID. - Can you call an ambulance?!

I said ID!

Adam?

What are you doing here?

Won't you say hello?

Get out of here.

I beg you. Get out of here.

Have you brought me a Mickey Mouse gum?

- I've forgotten. - Go to bed, Dorota.

There's something to do.

Tell Little Rose that writers are planning an important meeting.

She must be there and put down every word.

How?

- They will need a secretary. - They have their own.

This is our business.

Say hello to her from me.

Go lie down for a while, OK?

- May I with you? - Yes, you may.

Hello.

And who are you?

I am... Adam Warczewski's wife. Excuse me.

You know I seldom speak in public.

I mostly stay home or go to cafs.

But this time I'd like to say something.

I went to a premiere at a theater some time ago.

Nothing special, you'll say.

But I've remembered that premiere very well,

because I'd taken a certain woman along.

It was a very important day to me.

Now let me, colleagues, ask you a couple of questions.

How many of you have had a sentence

or a fragment of your work edited out by the censorship?

Go ahead. We're in our own circle. Nobody's

eavesdropping or recording.

Those promoted to be writers have been left outside.

Excellent.

Now who has had his whole short story or article banned?

And a whole book or play?

Let's congratulate ourselves. We have a new colleague now.

A great Polish writer, dead for 1 00 years: Adam Mickiewicz.

Serves him right.

Even he got what was coming to him.

Writing his Forefathers' Eve 1 1 3 years ago

he was already scheming how to insult the Soviet Union

on the very anniversary of the October revolution.

But he miscalculated.

The People's powers that be saw through his scheming:

No room for such subversive literature on the national stage!

What seems incredible to us is a simple logic of history

he envisaged himself, writing: "Hands fighting

for the people, the people themselves will cut off.

The names dear to the people, the people will forget.

Everything will pass. After the fight, the storm,

the effort, quiet, ignorant, little men will inherit. "

Little ignorant men

appropriated the heritage of culture of this country,

because, in their arrogance,

they counted on ruling the people's hearts and minds.

But we see it today that they have failed!

There is no consent to the dictatorship of ignoramuses!

And this young generation is showing us

what Poland they want to live in:

without lies, censorship, and enslavement.

And we Polish writers must be with them!

We must tell them: "We haven't

been able to make our dreams of freedom come true.

That's why today we pass them on to you! "

You've overlooked an important sentence...

What?

I said I was with a 'certain' woman at the premiere...

- Not suitable for the record. - Quite the opposite.

Everybody must read that.

I'll be right there...

Working so early?

I have to deliver this. The deadline's today.

- Dorota's in school? - Don't worry. She's had breakfast.

I have to ask you for help.

I know you're tired, but I can't do it myself.

No problem. I'm going to town, anyway.

This is dangerous.

I'm an adult. I'll manage.

Remember the bench in the park,

where you and Dorota fed swans?

It must be put there. At 12:00.

- In a copy of the Party paper? - Exactly.

Thank you, darling.

Watch out.

"Seen from Warsaw" ...Radio Free Europe

A stenographic record and my last report.

- What do you mean last? - My last. And that's that.

Wait.

Leave me alone!

Get out you whore!

Nothing new has happened since the previous report

except a PEN-CLUB meeting, whose steno record is included.

P. S. I have decided to accept the mark's proposal.

Our wedding is March 1 5 this year... Little Rose.

I don't know how to put it...

We've known each other for so long...

Exactly. Spare yourself an introduction.

It may hurt. It's about someone close to you....

The woman with whom... Kamila.

Rumors have it, even more than rumors,

I'd call them reliable information that...

That?

That she is a Secret Service stool pigeon,

maybe even an agent. She informs on you, on us all.

- Especially on you. - That's not the point.

They say you want to marry her.

They purposely planted her, Adam. I'm sorry.

You won't provoke me.

Tell your comrades to make up a better tale.

Go, go now.

How much do they pay you for this? Make up a better fairy tale!

Warsaw, March 8, 1 968

The mark's on his way... What do we do, Comrade Capt?

Get me smokes, Zawadzki. No filter.

No bread without freedom! Etc...

The police won't enter the university. Go home!

Please disperse!

Thank you, comrades! Thank you!

Gestapo! Gestapo!

Sir! Sir!

- You mustn't do this! - Go away, man!

You're violating the autonomy of the university!

Get the fuck out!

Willing to tie the fucking knot?

You know who your bride is you've been fucking?

I'll say when it's enough.

You know what your fianc� is?

She's been our secret collaborator all along.

Code name Little Rose. Very romantic, no?

A good match for the old goat you are.

She squealed on your every word and move.

- Enough? Now marry her! - Nonsense!

Nonsense? Here you are:

Hereby, l, Kamila Sakowicz, pledge to cooperate

with the Security Service of People's Poland

as a secret collaborator.

Kamila Sakowicz, code name Little Rose.

... Quote: How the authorities

will drink the beer that they have brewed.

Here...

Fuck it. Read it.

I have taken Dorotka to Grandma.

You can't imagine

what's going on in town, because of the riots.

Buses don't run. I had to take a taxi....

Adam, do you hear me?

I've bought you a tie.

Something happened?

... of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution

in our country. The Forefathers' Eve directed by Dejmek

brought about an unpleasant friction and was used

to undermine the Polish-Soviet friendship.

The taking off of The Forefathers' Eve

was used by reactionary and hostile forces to Poland

as a pretext for their dirty dealings.

Those who summoned the meeting of the writers

of Warsaw were not interested in obtaining

explanations concerning the taking off of The Forefathers's,

but to fuel a fight against the leadership of our Party,

against the government, against the people's power.

Both in the preparations for the meeting of writers

and the course it took and in the inciting

of the academic youth to riot,

one of the leading roles was played by Adam Warczewski.

His true name is Janusz Wajner.

One of the instigators,

he attacked everything dear to the heart of every true Pole.

The time has come to say clearly:

For such troublemakers and renegades as he,

there's no room in the ranks of creators of national culture!

No room in the socialist homeland!

Wieslaw! Wieslaw! Etc...

That Hitler was the way he was,

but he was really right on this count.

I'm not saying: take them to the gas at once.

But if they don't like it here, it's up to them:

Off to Madagascar or that Siam of theirs...

- Pull over. - What?

Pull over. I want out.

Here.

To the fucking Siam.

To Siam!

You will have time now to think all this through.

And more responsible individuals

will take care of educating the young,

those of an impeccable ethical attitude,

who understand better

what the socialist higher education expects of them...

- I understand, sir. Good bye. - Comrade President.

That's what you should call me: Comrade President.

You should understand.

In the present situation, the book cannot be published.

They've just called from the printing house.

- The printing has been suspended. - I understand.

That's not all.

I'm afraid that in such a situation

you will have to return the advance.

Hello...

Get the fuck out of Poland.

Captain Roman Rozek reporting.

What's this?

A motion to issue a warrant for Kamila Sakowicz's arrest.

As her supervising officer you claimed she was very good.

Kamila...

Sakowicz was a very good secret collaborator until...

Until what? She was re-recruited.

You have evidence? How sure are you?

- I just know. - You do?

Didn't she just try to marry the mark? And you're just jealous?

That's not the point, Comrade Colonel.

No? Then why did you blow her cover?

- I had to... - What?

Did you hear the question?

She... had crossed over to our enemies.

Our? Who exactly do you mean, Comrade Captain Rozek?

Or you should have said:

Captain Rozen, huh?

Listen Rozen. Not only

have you destroyed one of our best informers,

but also have lied

to your superiors about your true origins.

So who has crossed over to the enemy, Rozen?

- Comrades... - Rozen!!!

You are no longer a Party member. Our local cell has OK'd it.

Your weapon.

Weapon!

And your service ID.

You may leave now.

May they live to be a hundred...

Kamila, show me.

A travel document? Daddy said we'd get passports.

They'll let us cross the border with this too.

Come, we have to do shopping.

The holder of this document is not a Polish citizen.

What is a Polish citizen?

Someone who lives in Poland - a Pole.

- Am I not Polish now? - You are. Be quiet.

- Kamila, are we Jewish? - What's come over you?

- We're getting off! - This is not our stop!

We'll take a walk. Come. Excuse me, sir.

Look, what a beautiful rose! You don't have such, but I do.

Give it to me! Come!

Come!

Adam!

Warsaw, Gdanski Railroad Station

Repeat. The express train from here to Vienna is departing

from Track One at Platform Two...

You boarding the train?

Pressured by the anti-Semitic campaign,

by the communist powers that be after the so-called

March Riots of 1 968, nearly 1 5,000 people left Poland,

including 5,000 scientific workers, almost a 1,000 college students,

200 employees of the press and publishing houses,

filmmakers, actors, writers.

And also many officers of the Polish People's Army

and of the Security Service (SB)

Subtitle by Aldi Arman