Crumbs of War

Piwowski's documentary debut is a satirical reportage, referring to the poetics of the Czech school at the time. The starting point was an order from a film studio to join a project proposed by the Germans: what do teenagers in your country do on Saturday at 5 pm? Images from the lives of teenagers from Kętrzyn make up a contrasting slice of free time in a small town. Firemen maneuvering to start a fire outside working hours, bodybuilders training, choir rehearsal, dancing in Hitler's former headquarters...

A stowaway sneaks aboard a ship departing on a cruise down the Vistula River. The captain takes him for a Communist Party cultural coordinator and the intruder gladly adapts to his new role, immediately setting to work at manipulating the passengers and crew into silly and vaguely humiliating games. Before long, Tym has got everyone under his thumb and created his own comedic dictatorship.

The forest man, Kondrat, tells the boys about a she-wolf with a young litter. They sneak into the lair. The she-wolf sets off in pursuit of her pups. Bierniuka falls into the swamp. He is rescued by Kondrat. He punishes him for taking all the wolf pups. Bierniuka names his wolfdog Dzikun. The poacher Mohila takes him away, and the wolf girl wishing to claim her pup is killed. Dzikun, however, manages to escape. After some time he eats the poisoned meat scattered by Mohila. Bierniuce and Kondrat manage to rescue Dzikun. Mohila and his companion make an ambush for the wolves, but they attack. Thin ice on the pond breaks under the companion, a young wolfdog is thrown at Mohila. Bierniuka recognizes Dzikun in him.

Tadeusz, a junior high school student, visits to his forester grandfather who lives in an ancient forest. During one of the hunts, his grandfather tells him about the rumors circulating around about a treasure sunk in the lake.

Chief Forester Szymon from the observation tower sees a professor in the forest, walking through his district. Szymon and his wife Celina later engage in a disagreement due to his indifference and refusal to react on the professor’s illegal hunting. Celina would like to see Szymon as he used to be - rebellious, but Szymon prefers not to lean out. He is aware that everyone is responsible for the evil that permeates the country - some by their actions, others by their conformism.

Patients of the holiday and treatment center take part in trying to overcome the tobacco addiction by singing.