From Nowhere to Nowhere

(Znikąd donikąd)


1975   >   war/ drama

A situational tragedy that poses a question about the point of further fight in the face of the end of war and emergence of a new Polish reality.

In 1946, the war is already over, but the situation in the country is still unstable. After heroic battles with the Nazis, the remains of the Home Army led by lieutenant Grozny get tangled up in fratricidal conflicts. Apart from Grozny, there are several other dramatic characters: Fabian – a ruthless troublemaker who joins Grozny’s unit together with his men; Kordian – a soldier dying from his wounds on a stretcher; Kordian’s friend Ren. At dawn, they find themselves at the edge of  clearing in the woods after having escaped the communist security services. Completely worn out, they dream of resting and dressing their wounds. Early in the morning, Grozny’s unit sets out towards a village hidden in the mountains. Grozny realizes that he is completely alone in his fight. The villagers shut their doors in his face. He faces hostility wherever he turns. Grozny loses his friends one by one as they get killed accidentally and purposelessly. Kordian is fully aware of how much they differ from the way they see themselves. He is also the first of the soldiers to start asking himself about Poland, its future and shape. This is why before his death he tries to persuade his friend to leave the unit. The decision is very difficult, as all the soldiers are bound together by loyalty, honor and brotherhood. The only one who has an idea of how they can escape this situation is the unscrupulous Fabian, who tries to take control of the unit. Realizing this, Grozny tries to protect himself and his men from the final defeat and tragedy. However, his attempts seem to be just a desperate effort aimed at saving face. The village is the place where he would like to share his thoughts with the rest. Eventually, Grozny loses this fight. He either cannot or does not want to abandon the goalless path leading to more victims, bloodshed and death – the path leading to nowhere.


Crew:

director
Kazimierz Kutz
script
Ryszard Kłyś
d.o.p.
Krzysztof Winiewicz
designer
Bolesław Kamykowski
editor
Józef Bartczak
music
Wojciech Kilar
cast
Leonard Pietraszak, Jadwiga Jankowska,
Jerzy Trela, Olgierd Łukaszewicz,
Jerzy Fedorowicz, Jerzy Zelnik

Awards:

PFFF, Gdynia
Best Music Award (Wojciech Kilar)
Materials: SD
Length: 85’