In 1983, a student is beaten to death by several police officers; as the regime tries to cover up its crimes, the only witness (Tomasz Zietek) finds himself under intense pressure. The director comes from a background of documentaries, which is fitting for a drama about a killing the Communist dictatorship failed to realize would galvanize thousands. Visually unremarkable, with a bloated running time, but the film is nonetheless surprisingly engrossing as it takes us behind the rivalry between different arms of the regime – and an inevitable clash between father and son.
2021-Poland. 160 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Jan P. Matuszynski. Cast: Tomasz Zietek (Jurek Popiel), Sandra Korzeniak (Barbara Sadowska), Jacek Braciak (Tadeusz Popiel), Agnieszka Grochowska, Robert Wieckiewicz, Tomasz Kot.
Trivia: Original title: Zeby nie bylo sladow.
