Leaves Have Fallen (On 35mm Fallen Leaves)

Twenty-year-old Henryk (Mieczysław Hryniewicz), on his way to the sea, reflects on the years of occupation during his childhood. Raised alongside his younger sister Zosia during their father's absence, he took on responsibility for the family and became involved in the resistance. Together with his siblings and friends from the workshop, he risked his life transporting weapons and underground newspapers, as well as taking part in actions against Gestapo collaborators. The film portrays both the tension of everyday partisan life and small, human moments: shared meals, conversations, first crushes. The dream of seeing the sea, often mentioned during conversations in the forest, becomes a symbol of freedom and restitution for the losses endured by his comrades in arms. The final view of the Baltic brings Henryk comfort and a sense of fulfillment.