The film depicts the momentous and tragic history of the Poznan uprising of 1956. The memory of the director, who was a nine-year-old boy at the time, is the only canvass of the script. The main characters of the black-and-white film are two boys aged ten and twelve. From their perspective, the viewer follows the development of events. From the depths of the gates, through the rails of fences and cluttered backyards, through the eyes of the children we watch the street riots. The film, without action in the literal sense of the word, was made using a reportage technique that perfectly captures the spontaneity of the Poznan uprising. Among other things, the author of the picture depicts the adventures of a young worker Zenek, who becomes the unwitting leader of the protest, and five professors, who by chance find themselves in the very center of events.

A trio takes shelter in a friend's apartment while he is away for awhile. One of the trio is Lola who teaches French on the side, maintains an out-of-sight hairstyle, and has a 10-year-old son. Another of the trio is a homosexual who supports himself by playing his flute on the street or reading to elderly women. The last friend in the group is Max, whose parents are sending him steady installments of cash to pay for non-existent studies; it seems Max is a writer waiting for inspiration to hit. In the meantime, he and Lola are an item.