Year: 2022 (aired in 2023)

Country of origin: Poland

Producers: Wojciech Widelski (TVP), Dariusz Pietrykowski (Executive Producer)

Broadcaster: TVP

Director: Krzysztof Lang

Writer: Andrzej Gołda

Actors: Vanessa Aleksander, Ignacy Liss, Ireneusz Czop, Edyta Olszówka, Mariusz Bonaszewki, Anna Radwan

Synopsis: Hania studies at the State Higher School of Theatre in Warsaw. One day, she attends a theatrical premiere of Dziady (Forefathers’ Eve) by Adam Mickiewicz, a literary work that is an expression of the deepest patriotic feelings, an image of the nation’s suffering in captivity and an image of the struggle against an invader. The then government believed that “Dziady” was an allusion to its ruling and it may instigate uprisings. At the premiere, Hania meets Janek, a student at the University of Technology. Their meeting is the beginning of a great love. The carefree and loved-up couple is completely uninterested in politics which, however, starts to influence their lives in an increasingly brutal way. The persecution of citizens of Jewish origin is gaining on strength. Hania’s father, an excellent doctor, and her mother lose their jobs and are among those affected by the anti-Semitic purge. With no money and no prospects for the future, Hania’s family decides to emigrate. But the girl does not want to leave. The course of history speeds up: students in Warsaw protest in defence of Dziady, which has been removed from the stage due to political reasons. The protests culminate in a rally at the university and its brutal pacification. Hania and Janek take part in it, paying a very high price. They are beaten up, arrested, interrogated, and expelled from their universities. It is a harsh lesson of civic maturity for both of them.