The story of a former member of a top secret organization and a death squad which immediately after the war specialized in eliminating traitors of the nation. After 50 years he speaks.
It is 1944. The film's main character joins the Polish underground Home Army (Armia Krajowa), fighting against the Nazi invaders. After Poland is "liberated" by the Soviet Army, he continues the fight as a member of the most secret of underground organization "Freedom and Independence" ("Wolność i Niezawisłość"). He serves in a "shadow unit" performing executions on the "bloody, red torturers of the Polish nation", as the words of the organization's oath put it. These are members of the Communist security service and the Soviet Union's secret police (NKWD). Seventeen at that time, he is the only survivor of the 15-men squad. He manages to stay alive only because of a hiding place which he calls his "quiet harbour". This place is a dissection room, where he works for the next 45 years and feels "very comfortable". After fifty years - though not revealing his face and identity - he decides to speak for the first time. His story is that of a man infected with death.
"By inflicting death upon other people the protagonist has also killed the human in himself. Then, as an internal act of self-defence, he justifies his actions with the noble cause that directed him. Once and for all he abandoned all moral doubts, cutting off his way to the relief that comes from repentance." (Lech Kurpiewski)
- Cicha przystań / The Quiet Harbour. Director and screenplay: Mariusz Malec. Cinematography: Marek Traskowski. Music: Henryk Kuzniak. Sound processing: Andrzej Artymowicz. Executive production: WIR Film Studio. Producer: Telewizja Polska Channel I. 1995, colour, 27 min.
Awards:
- Grand Prix at the International Short Film Festival in Tampere, Finland, 1996;
- Special Jury Award at the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto, 1996;
- Grand Prix at the "Dokument Art" Festival in Neubrandenburg, 2006.
Source: the catalogue "Young Polish Cinema", published by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, June 2007