In nineteenth-century Łódź, Poland, three friends want to make a lot of money by building and investing in a textile factory. An exceptional portrait of rapid industrial expansion is shown through the eyes of one Polish town.

A group of resistance fighters discover the secret collaboration between a local beggar and the Nazis.

The action takes place in the second half of the 19th century in a small Californian town in the Wild West. Hans, a German émigré, opens a shop on one of the streets. To his annoyance, his fellow countryman, young and beautiful Lora, sets up a shop on the opposite side. There is fierce competition. Lora decides to take Hans to court. However, unfamiliar with German, the judge mistakenly marries them.

A stranger shows up in an American town, promising a reward for the person who once helped him out of trouble.

Young Pharaoh Ramses XIII clashes with Egypt's clergy over influence on the affairs of the state and its coffers. inexperienced, but quite ambitious pharaoh is putting up a fight against a powerful clan of priests usurping rule over the country.

During the Napoleonic wars, a Spanish officer and an opposing officer find a book written by the former's grandfather.

Juliusz Starzewski goes to Rome to seek justice on behalf of his father.

An elderly man returns to Poland to find his long-lost son, missing since World War II. In his quest the man is forced to contemplate the elusive and coded nature of truth itself.

Five short stories. (1) “Czas przybliża, czas oddala” – Edward recalls his unfulfilled love for Anna and, years later, writes to her sister Zofia, mistaking her for Anna. (2) “Krąg istnienia” – A girl falls for Wacek at an ice rink; pressured by family, she marries a soap manufacturer. (3) “Paryż 1945” – A Polish refugee soldier and an American woman share a fleeting wartime bond before she leaves at dawn. (4) “Stary profesor” – Two men seek an old professor to fulfill a dying prisoner’s last wish; Roger impersonates a former pupil. (5) “Nauczycielka” – Neglected wife Zofia accepts film tests, only to find the director seeks an ordinary woman.

Two friends think that they've discovered a dangerous spy hiding in a mine shaft.