Małgorzata Wiśniewska-Niemirska

Four Tank-Men and a Dog

Czterej pancerni i pies was a Polish black and white TV series based on the book by Janusz Przymanowski. Made between 1966 and 1970, the series is composed of 21 episodes of 55 minutes each, divided into three seasons. It is set in 1944 and 1945, during World War II, and follows the adventures of a tank crew and their T-34 tank in the 1st Polish Army. Although both the book and the TV series contain elements of pro-Soviet propaganda, they have achieved and retain a cult series status in Poland, Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries. The T-34 tank Rudy with the identifying number "102", a German Shepherd dog from Siberia Szarik and to a lesser extent the crew Jan Kos, Gustaw Jeleń, Grigorij Saakaszwili, Tomasz Czereśniak, and their commander and mentor Olgierd Jarosz, as well as other heroes of the series, have become icons in Polish popular culture.

The Chairman's Ear

The series follows the chairman of the ruling political party in Poland (Mr Chairman). The narrative takes place primarily in his office where, joined by his assistant Mariusz, he hosts numerous visitors, including government officials and other public office holders.

Second chance

The main character is Monika Borecka, TV producer and manager. She is a modern woman of success - strong, attractive, hard-working and self-confident. Seemingly, she's leading a perfect life: she's on the peak of her career, makes money, and has a handsome partner. She loves living in a big city, she is always updated with news. Monika is ambitious and creative. In the world of show-business, she feels like a duck in water. She's going to celebrate her 40th birthday with beloved ones. Suddenly...she loses everything. Without job, friends, rejected by the world of show-biz which was her entire world. Arrested and convicted to social services in hospital. Monika, for the first time in her life is left on the own. Betrayed, humiliated, disillusioned and without hope. Monika faces many problems to find the answer for a question: what is the most important thing in life? Is she able to struggle with hardships of life? How to use a second chance, which is given us by lock to find our true destiny? The series also shows scenes of show business and reveals to the audience the mechanisms governing the world.

Index

The story begins in March of 1968, the days of students protests. A hot- headed student protests the Dean's decision to expell a fellow student on fake accusation charges, upon which he drops out of university rather than make a compromise. He loses everything in the process: his girlfriend, housing privileges - he becomes a coal deliverer. On the job he witnesses an accident that causes death of a fellow worker. He decides to write a story, which is good and a publishing house wants to print it, but only after some corrections are made. He refuses again and the story is not printed. Finally, a story is commercialized and made into a succesful film and brings fame to the original author.

Close-Ups

37-year-old Marta gets married and wants to have a baby. But her toxic relationship with overbearing mother complicates her life in many ways.

Smugglers

"Ladybug," "Silent" and "Cobra" are 19-year-old young men who have everything, but want even more. They are smugglers working for "Black" - the head of a Szczecin smuggling gang. Unexpectedly, a certain Chmielewski, the richest man in Szczecin and former boss of "Black", gives up his illegal business. The good "deals" with customs officials come to an end. The boys decide that they will continue to manage on their own. However, in order to continue doing "business", they need to hire someone with a "clean" passport. The choice falls on Robert - the class primer.

These Daughters of Mine

A 40-year old actress (single and strong, yet lonely), her sister (an emotionally unstable schoolteacher whose married-with-kids life appears more orderly) and their domineering father, who gradually loses control over his family due to his wife's sudden illness and his own health troubles; these are the three individuals at the heart of this film, a touching story about the strength of family ties in a situation of imminent danger.

Wycieczka w nieznane

A visit to Auschwitz changes the life of a young unambitious writer.

Seychelles

A small-time racketeer Stefek evades mob bosses by passing himself off as a mentally unstable cleptomaniac and laying low in an asylum. The racketeer and his closest devotee escape from the asylum and find work at the opera. Stefek becomes stage-doorman and soon discovers that the opera doubles as a brothel.

Komisarz Alex