
86 minutes
1/26/1981
More documentary in its approach than dramatized history, this is a compelling story about a 1901 children's strike in Wrzesnia near the Polish border with Prussia. Poland was partitioned at this time, and a rigidly patriotic Prussian teacher in Wrzesnia follows the dictates of the Germans in parliament and insists that the children be taught their religion classes in German. When the children refuse to take part in the classes, they are supported by the local priest, but that does not save them from being beaten. They are also kept after school and tormented in other ways as well. Newspapers, parents, and the nation as a whole get involved, transforming a simple children's strike into a national incident.

Tadeusz Łomnicki
as Mayor Mossenbach

Daniel Olbrychski
as Father Paczkowski

Jerzy Stuhr
as Wagner
Zygmunt Bielawski
as Pohl

Henryk Bista
as Fedtke

Wiesław Drzewicz
as Inspector Winter

Zdzisław Wardejn
as Koralewski

Andrzej Wasilewicz
as Gardo

Stanisław Igar
as Głębocki

Mieczysław Voit
as Count Kościelewski

Stanisław Michalski
as Langner

Jerzy Trela
as Winkler

Wirgiliusz Gryń
as Smólkowski

Alfred Struwe

Karl Sturm
as Gendarme

Hans-Joachim Recknitz
as Gendarme
Paweł Wojtczak

Helena Kowalczykowa
as Gadzińska
Małgorzata Załuska

Zbigniew Buczkowski
as Achim

Janusz Michałowski
as Photographer

Tadeusz Gwiazdowski

Michał Leśniak
as Września citizen
Włodzimierz Musiał
as Września citizen
Marian Pogasz

Wiesław Komasa
Zdzisław Szymborski
Elżbieta Borysiak
as Bronka Olejniczak
Krzysztof Kozłowski
as Antek Winkler
Grzegorz Dobrzycki
as Kacper Smólkowski
Marek Adamowicz
Jarosław Górka
Andrzej Kurczewski
Roman Ławniczak
Marzena Frydryszak
Leszek Kubiak
Zbigniew Nowak
Jarosław Osztynowicz
Renata Różycka
Janusz Stachowski
Slawomir Walczyk
Grażyna Wojtczak
Gabriela Wojtkowiak
Waldemar Łukasik
Kazimierz Błaszczyński
as (uncredited)
Czesław Magnowski

Wiesław Wójcik
as (uncredited)