Sokor, an attorney, becomes involved in a scandal. To unravel it, he asks for the help of a friend.

Łukasz, an unemployed geography graduate, is wrongfully arrested for robbery. His alibi is weak, and he is identified during a lineup. The situation gets hopeless when, a few hours later, the alleged victim suddenly dies. The defense lawyer promises to do everything in his power, but Łukasz ends up in custody. He must find his place in a world of harsh prison rules. He chooses the cell of the “grypsujący” (inmates who communicate by coded messages)…

When a political decision is made as to the location of a new large chemical factory, Stefan Bednarz is put in charge of it. This honest communist party man has to confront the local community opposing the construction.

Based on actual events in 1982, the film recreates a hostage-taking in Switzerland. Four men storm the Polish embassy: a criminal, a crazed killer, a student and an idealist. When the embassy is stormed by the police, the four captors react differently.