Director: Edward Żebrowski
1978
Young doctor Stefan begins working at a psychiatric hospital just before the outbreak of World War II. Faced with the impending German occupation, the hospital becomes a site of dramatic events—both due to the actions of the Nazis and the controversial methods of the Polish doctors. Doctor Rygier is fascinated by power, Doctor Kauters believes exclusively in surgery, and Doctor Marglewski treats illness as possession. The facility's director and the young doctor Nowosielska, despite their good intentions, fail to prevent the tragedy. A writer connected to the hospital, modeled on Witkacy, commits suicide, and soon the Germans enter the institution. Edward Żebrowski’s film is an adaptation of Stanisław Lem’s 1955 novel, blending medical realism with historical drama and referencing the Nazi T4 Aktion, targeting people with mental illnesses during the occupation. The production was partially shot at the hospital in Tworki, in collaboration with its patients.