"Agnieszka!" "Shift is over!" "Everybody's waiting!" "Know what this is?" "A welded joint." "It's part of a ship." "Ships travel through water." "Ships carry people." "If I don't weld it right, the joint will tear, and the people will drown." "And whose fault is it?" "Gdansk Summer 1961" "My dear comrades, you all know me." "I'm really just one of you." "I worked here for 10 years." "Now I work at the Party as your delegate." "But I still feel at home here." "Especially today, when we want to honor our best workers:" "Our Socialist heroes." "You know who I'm talking about." "Today's "Activist of the Year" award will be presented to Agnieszka Kowalska for fulfilling 270 percent of the plan." "Agnieszka, come here, please." "Agnieszka, you're standing here for the tenth time." "And we thought you deserved more than just a gift basket." "So..." "I would like to give it to you." "I just want to say one thing." "I started working at this shipyard in 1950." "I came here with nothing." "And now I have a good job and a place to live." "I swore I'd work so hard that I'd never get fired." "I want to thank all of you." "The shipyard is my family." "And I'd like..." "Hey, don't you want to open it?" "In the evening, but not here." "Here is your certificate." "Read it aloud." "You do it." "You know I'm not much of a reader." "There's our heroine." " Really heavy, isn't it?" " Thanks." " What's in there?" " I don't know." "The works of Marx, Engels, and Lenin?" " Careful." " Open it." "A television set." "We told you before!" "You're ruining the norm!" "To hell with your 270 percent!" "What's your problem?" "All I do is work." "That's the problem!" "We've got some rules here." "They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work." "Got the picture?" "Now go to hell with your "award"!" "Higher?" "Yeah, get up there." "Higher?" "Up higher." "Oh, God." " Higher." " Here?" "Can you see anything?" "No, get up on the table." " Okay?" "Can you see anything?" " Yes!" "Yes!" "I was hoping for a Western." "Change channels." "Maybe we'll find something." "Hey, I've seen that before!" "Hear that?" "Good night, dear." "Tell me a story, please." "I'm so tired." "Okay." "But then you go to bed." "Your father was a famous chemist." "He discovered how to turn lead into gold." "And one day, while he was carrying out a very dangerous experiment, he vanished into thin air." "Would anyone else like to say something?" "I want a straight answer." "Do we get a longer lunch break?" " Listen here, Comrade." " Since when am I a comrade?" "That's just the point." "It's time you joined us." "The shipyard's Party committee highly recommends you." "In my opinion, 30 minutes is sufficient." "30 minutes." "Sure thing." "It's like forever." "Okay, Sobecki." "I'll show you." "Get up." "Please." "Come on." "Now walk over there." "Okay, there's the canteen." "And this is the construction hall." "This is what happens." ""Hello?" "Ah, the siren." "It's lunchtime." "I'll just run over to the pots and pans." "They're only a mile away. "" "Nearly one and a half." ""Did you hear that?" "Even further." "I'd better hurry up." "Oh, lunch is over." "What now?" "Stuff myself and get yelled at by the foreman?" "No, I'll hurry back." "I'm going to be late for work." "Damn it!"" "What do you say?" "Should I talk to Comrade Sobiecki?" "He'll listen." "He's one of us, isn't he?" "Have a nice day." "Now, that was another very productive meeting." "Drunk today." "Drunk tomorrow." "Just pour the soup into your schnapps." "Good idea!" "What's going on here?" "It's lunch break." "Want some soup?" "There's soup in the canteen." "Yeah, and we all know where that is." "Agnieszka, be reasonable." "If you don't stop this nonsense, I have to report you." "Listen here." "Should the union president report me to the authorities?" ""A labor heroine is no canteen worker. "" "Or something like that." "Who is in favor?" "The motion is passed unanimously." "Or how about:" ""Agnieszka is stirring up unrest with a soup ladle"?" "Dig in, Renate." "You got to eat for two." "Agnieszka!" "Agnieszka!" "Did somebody die?" "Did you see Jacek?" "God damn it, Mateusz!" " What time is it?" " It's almost 5:00 p. m." "Stop it!" "You're drunk again!" "Hi, Mrs. Chomska." "I wasn't expecting you." " What about Krystian?" " He may have a fever." "They sent him home from school, but I can't look after him." "I'm going to kill you, you filthy slut!" "That's enough!" "Get out of here right now!" "Hey, there, sunshine." "What's wrong with you?" "You're burning up." "Where does it hurt?" " I'm really thirsty." " I'll get something." "Drink this." "Let me feel your forehead." "Fever." "I'll take off your shoes first." "And we'll get you warmed up." "Here." "And then you will go to bed." "Quiet!" "Hey, can't you hear anything?" "Oh, sorry." "Sorry." "You realize what time it is?" "We have rules in this apartment building!" "And everybody obeys them!" "Understand?" "And now it's time to be quiet!" "Sorry if I happened to bother you." "My name is Kazimierz Walczak." "I just moved in." "No music after 10:00." "I promise." "You call that music?" "I'd rather tap my foot to the shipyard's siren." "How is Krystian doing?" "He's running a fever." "I didn't sleep all night." "I'm really beat." "I've got to stop doing piecework." "You'd earn less on the crane, but there's no night shift." "I'll talk to Elvira because I'm a welder, too." "Maybe we could swap jobs." "Not a bad idea." "But you've got to weld straight, and you need a steady hand for that." "Knock it off!" "You drink too much." "Agnieszka!" "You?" "On the crane?" "I've got no problem with heights." "You've got to pass an exam first." "A written exam." "Sorry, I hadn't thought about that." "What are you doing here?" "Making tea." "I ran into him on the stairs." " He's running a fever." " I know." "Hey, sunshine." "How are you doing?" "Not good." "Hey, Kazimierz has a big motorcycle with a sidecar." "Kazimierz." "I work early this week." "I could look after him in the afternoon." "We get by fine on our own." "I could cook him something." "Listen, you seem to have the wrong idea." "You do, too." "I'm a really lousy cook." "Mr. Walczak." "Maybe you could..." "Tomorrow or the day after." "That'd be fine." "Love to." " But..." " No music." "My sunshine" "I'm gonna lather you up" "Doesn't it feel nice?" "It's his first communion." "Stop it!" "I don't understand." "Are you a mechanic or a musician?" "I'm a musician and not a mechanic." "You can hear me play every Saturday at the jazz club." "Your apple pie..." "Excellent." "So when do you perform as a mechanic?" "Ever heard of the Ship Forge?" "We use 35-pound hammers." "There are 80 of us." "And we've got a German machine that could do it all by itself." "But what about the 80 workers?" "Well, they stashed away the machine and chose somebody to look after it." "Me." "And I keep it looking nice." "I can't complain." "Loads of free time." "You've really got it good." "Bochnak gives me shift after shift." "Why don't you get a crane license?" "Elvira, how could I ever pass an exam?" "That's impossible." "I'll help you." "I'll help you." "I'm getting straight A's now." "Okay, if that's so..." " Cheers!" " Cheers!" "Here's to school." " "New shipyard. " - "New shipyard. "" ""Carps and other fishes are cleaning the sewage system. "" ""Safety rules." "Be careful when you work. "" "So we can lift 60 percent of the crane's weight." "And when the angle is 90 degrees, it's 40 percent." "Here's another important point:" "When it's over 90 degrees, it's still 40 percent." "Kazimierz!" "No!" "All I had after the war were the clothes I was wearing." "I couldn't read or write." "The city was in ruins." "The street signs and shops still had German names, so nobody could read them." "And I thought, "Ruins, but a heaven. "" "What are you thinking of?" "Apple pie." "What's this?" "Nitro..." "It's for my heart." "Because it always goes "boom, boom" when I see you." "So when can I start?" "You have to climb up 148 feet and stay to the end of your shift." "That's fine with me." "What he means is..." "Up on the crane, there's no place..." "Know what I mean?" "It's no problem for me because I've got a bottle." "What the heck?" "Have you ever seen a toilet for ladies down here?" "There aren't any." "I never went to the toilet here." "Next one's in the canteen." "30 minutes away." "Okay, swap jobs if you like." "But I don't ever want to hear:" ""Either it's raining, or it's Agnieszka's shift. "" "Mateusz?" " What?" " Agnieszka." "You've got to see the doctor!" "He'll test you for fear of heights!" "Mrs. Kowalska." "Krystian, set the table, please." " Hey, big guy." " Hey." " Finished your homework?" " Almost." "Leave me alone." "I've had a really bad day today." "What happened?" " Krystian?" " Yeah?" "Go down and buy two eggs from Chomska." "Okay." "Get going." "I have cancer." "I'm going to die." "My kidney..." "It's strange." "I don't feel any pain." "The doctor says the pain comes towards the end." "But I was given the okay to operate the crane." "Oh, God." "What will become of Krystian when I'm gone?" "He's my son." " Dinner soon." " Dinner soon." "Marek, you have a moment?" "What's up?" "Could you do me a favor?" "I need a gravestone for a girlfriend." "A simple stone like this with an inscription..." "It isn't that easy." "It'd take me five or six hours." "300 zloty." "What can I buy for 300 zloty?" "And a chicken when it's finished." "Okay?" "A chicken?" "Are you serious?" "Where can you get a chicken?" " I can get two if I want." " Lf that's so..." "A chicken lays eggs, doesn't it?" "Okay, you get six eggs, too." "Two chickens lay more than six eggs." "My final offer: 2 chickens, 12 eggs." "And get me the inscription, too." "20, 40, 60, 80... 300." "Here." "Agnieszka Kowalska." "Will you marry me?" "You two lovebirds, we'll forgive you for sneaking off and getting married." "But you don't seriously think you'll get away without a wedding present." "From all of us." "You were always crazy about the sea, so we thought we'd give you a wonderful honeymoon at the Jurata seaside resort." "I stayed at the hotel once with Elvira." "But you'd better watch out." "The beds squeak like crazy." "Drink away all your bitter sorrows so your lives will be sweet as honey." "Cheers!" "Congratulations from the Union." "I don't need a wife." "I need work." "The office is that way." "Thanks." "Here." "You see?" "I'm an electrician." "Thanks." "Goal!" "Hey, put me down!" "Goal!" "I won!" "I dreamt about something last night." "You're going to laugh at me." "No, I won't." "I promise." "Look, Mom, a flounder!" "Okay." "I'm riding in a coach and there are black horses in front of me, riding through town." "There are people everywhere cheering me." "I've often had that dream, but never as clear as last night." "I'm sure it means something." "I'm just not sure what." "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" "My pills!" "Where are they?" "I can't find them." "At the hotel!" "Hurry!" "I'll get them!" "Krystian, stay with Kazimierz!" "Is it like you wanted?" "Comrades, our shipyard is now called Vladimir Ilyich Lenin." "Spring 1968" "Hey, watch out!" "Let's eat something." "Hey, Leszek, you like our food?" "A shipyard called Lenin can't have bad food, can it?" "As for the new name..." "It's interesting they named it after him." "I heard that Lenin could hardly swim." "Attention, there's a storm warning for the area of Pomerania." "Strong 37-mile-per-hour winds are expected." "Everyone responsible for facilities, equipment, and tools should begin taking the necessary safety measures immediately." "Safety measures?" "But how?" "All we got here is junk." "Right?" " Or maybe not?" " That's right." "Party bosses pocket the safety money." "Same old story." "It's true." "And what do they do with it?" "They spend it on girls." " You learn fast." " I'm right, aren't I?" "Don't forget they get a kickback from the girls, one that hurts when you pee." "Kazimierz," "I had that dream again." "I told the priest about the dream, and he said it's no dream." "It's a vision." "And it's supposed to tell me that God has a plan for me." "Kazimierz, what could that be?" "What is it?" "What does it mean?" "What could God expect me to do?" "Look, Professor, this is the X-ray taken five years ago." "And this is from today." " This must be someone else's X-ray." " No, that's impossible." " That's incredible." " Can I get dressed?" "I'd say it's a miracle." "But don't tell that to the Party Secretary." "Congratulations." "Mrs. Walczak, the tumor is gone." "Medically speaking, we can't explain it." "But you heard it yourself." "I don't have cancer anymore?" "Congratulations, Mrs. Walczak." "You're perfectly healthy." "Autumn 1970" "I was so hopeful when I got to know Kazimierz." "And then..." "Life always turns out different than you expect." "I never thought that the Lord would make me healthy and keep me alive." "It's okay, Mom." "It's okay." "Kazimierz, you'll have to wait for me." "Help me." "What should we do?" "Agnieszka, can't you talk to them?" "If they keep this up, we can't meet a single deadline." " Why are you asking me?" " They'll listen to you." "I'll never tell them that!" "We're absolutely exhausted!" "We've been doing overtime for weeks." "Olszewski collapsed yesterday." "Listen, I'll talk to them." "And I'll tell them they should go to bed." "As a heroine of labor?" "Kiss my ass." "Men, on behalf of the Party leaders and the shipyard directors, get back to work." "I'm warning you." "This will have dire consequences." "If you don't start working right now, you're fired!" "You have families to support." "If you finish the job on time, you'll get a bonus." "Hey, that's my bottle." "He's on fire!" "The damn fire extinguisher doesn't work!" "Help!" "Help!" "Here!" "Here!" "Pull up!" "We know that it was a fuel leak." "And that's all we know so far." "Just write, "Human error. "" " How many?" " 21 fatalities." "I've started the investigation." "Give the families our condolences." "District headquarters." "The cause of the fire was the workers themselves because they didn't adhere to safety precautions." "Period." "While on the job, workers drank alcohol in extreme situations." "Several vodka bottles were found in the hold, together with cigarette butts." "Period." "The cigarettes would have burned up." "Okay." "Just empty vodka bottles." "Consequently, we approve the shipyard directors' decision to cancel all payments to the widows." "Period." "Excuse me, but two women died, too, Mr. Sobecki." "To the surviving dependants." "Period." "Agnieszka." "Here." "Read what the shipyard sent us." "They refuse to pay a pension or any other compensation." "What?" "He worked himself to death for 20 years." "And I don't get a single zloty." "The others don't either." "They claim our husbands were drunk." "And the so-called union confirmed it." "Those pigs!" "You know what?" "Mateusz didn't drink since your wedding." "I wonder how it feels to write such lies?" "You can go in now." "Hello, there." "How's your son doing?" "Have a seat." "He's my son, so it's none of your business." "Agnieszka, we investigated your report about the accident." "Sorry, but there was no more overtime than usual." "Don't lie!" "We were dropping dead from overtime." "I did 43 hours that week." "It was unreasonable and against regulations." "This is what we found on the time cards." "You've faked the time cards!" "What are you talking about?" "What's happened to you?" "Can't you just once, just this one time, act like a decent human being?" "You know me!" "Okay, I may be in the Party, but I'm Catholic just like you." "And so I say, it was God's will." "God's will?" "That men and women were forced to do welding on a ship while it was being filled up with fuel." "That was God's will?" "Agnieszka..." "I've always tried to protect you." "But I can't do it anymore." "Beware of the director, and especially Bochnak." "Bochnak?" "Don't say I said so." "You take away women's husbands and it's a shame!" "Aren't you ashamed?" "What are you doing here?" "I just finished overtime calculations." "I have your bonus here." "I wanted to ask you..." "It has to do with..." "The time cards." "People might misunderstand..." "Just forget about it." "Listen, Bochnak." "I curse you!" "You won't sleep another hour." "You'll never stop thinking of the people who died, and when you die, you'll be all alone." "No one will hold you." "You'll die like a dog." " Wait outside." " No way." "As you can easily see, I tried to stop this woman, but..." "I can't stand here holding it." "It's heavy." "Now it's broken for good." "I don't want any presents from you." " Hey, big boy." "Did you flunk?" " Nope." "No way." "Guess again." "Here you are." "Now I'll get accepted at a technical college." "Maybe to Warsaw." "Warsaw?" "Why Warsaw?" "I got you an apprenticeship at the shipyard, as a metalworker." "Come here." "Mom," "I know you want the best for me." "It may seem weird if I go to college because you never went to school." "But I don't want to be a crane operator or a welder." " You understand?" " I just want the best for you." "You understand me?" "I'll be right there." "Coming." "Come here." "I've got to go." "Don't wait for me." "Hi, there!" " What's your name?" " Marysia Kaminska." "Nice name." "Goal!" "Good job." "Wait a second, Krystian." "Good job." "Darek, fabulous." "Really great." " Yeah?" " Give me your armband." "That was your last game as captain." "I know." "I'm going to Warsaw." "It isn't certain." "You want to go to the technical college?" " Right?" " Exactly." " What if you get in trouble?" " My mother is a heroine of labor." "That enables me to get additional points." "She may just be your problem, Krystian." "Welcome, Maria." "Hello." "My father wants to invite you to our house for dinner tonight." "Let's go." "All right." "I heard you operate a portal crane." "Very interesting." "No, I haven't operated a portal crane for a long time." "My crane is 270 feet high, and it can lift 150 tons over 490 feet." "One of those high cranes!" "That isn't a typical woman's job." "I don't know what's typical and what isn't." "I only know I got a job that helps me support my family." "I heard that your son is going to college." "You can be proud of him." "What college?" "I'm lucky if I can be a street cleaner or a cemetery caretaker." "Thanks a lot, Mom." "What happened?" "No." "We want to thank you." "Our widow's pension arrived today." "And we all know we owe it to you." "Now you'll have to accept a present from us." "Okay, out of the way here." "A new television set." "No, Elvira." "I can't accept it." "Please, we beg you." "We all pitched in to buy it." "I'm sure our husbands would approve." "Yes, they would." "Come on in." "A television set?" "The women from the shipyard finally got their compensation." "Wow!" "And I thought you did it for the cause." "Come on in." "Thank you." "Your coat?" "Thanks." "Have a seat." "Would you like a drink?" "I'm worried about Krystian." "Your son." "Really?" "Since when is he my son, too?" "Henryk." "Many of your dreams may have shattered, but help him, please." "I know you can." "Someone else makes those decisions." "Henryk, please." "All right." "If you want me to help him," "I want to meet him first." "You know I always wanted to." "He's the only son I have." "You have to pay for everything in life, Agnieszka." "Am I asking too much?" "Excuse me." "I'm busy." "One more thing." "You'll find out soon, anyway." "You've been removed from the list of women's brigade delegates." "You don't decide that." "They elected me." "I didn't decide it." "It's all your own doing." "Our next meeting is Monday at 10:00." "And I'll be there for sure." "I enlisted." "After that, I can go to the polytechnic school." "...the Council of Ministers has decreed new prices, effective immediately, for the following products..." "I've got to go in there." "I'm a delegate of the women's brigade." "I've got to go in there." "A wild guy." " Let me have a look." " No room." "Move on." "I can't see a thing." "Help me." "Give me a boost." "Thanks." "What a union!" "I get 1,800 zloty, but prices keep rising!" "We don't fix the prices." "Our country needs us." "We have to increase production." "How can I feed my kids?" " Can you tell me that?" " We won't let...!" "Look at them run." "Like scared rabbits!" "We aren't to blame!" "We don't decide!" "They're powerless." "Let's go to the Party Committee." "Get me down." "Come on." "To the Party Committee." "Come on!" "Let's go!" "Let's think about what to do." "Be reasonable!" "Or we won't get anywhere." "If we make a mistake, things will get bloody!" "Don't you see what's going on?" "They're just waiting for us to provoke them!" "We have to turn back!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Don't do it!" "Hold on!" "Gestapo!" "Gestapo!" "Stop it!" "Aren't you ashamed?" "You'll shoot all of them again?" "You old bitch!" "Come on!" "December 1970" "Don't move." "Thank you." "Next!" "I'll make a nice picture of you." "Put this on." "It's just pure vandalism." "They're all just rowdies." "But you can rehabilitate yourself if you give us some information." "We want you to tell us the names of the people you see in this film." "For example, do you know this man?" "Or this man here?" "Who is this?" "Did he take part in the strike?" "And this woman?" "Is she someone you know?" "You'd better think it over, Mrs. Walcz ak." "Go on." "Stare." "I know what I look like." "After all, I was in jail." "How do I look?" "The militia beat me up." "I was in jail." "The militia beat us up and shot at us." "And I saw shipyard workers killed." "But we won't let them shut us up!" "You hear me?" "Those are two of the men who beat me up." "Look at what they did to me." "Are you one of them now?" "Were you there?" "What will you do if you're out there?" "Will you shoot at your people?" "If they order me to." "You don't know what you're saying." "Go ahead and play your role." "The great workers' rights activist." "But leave me out of it." "My God, I don't mean a thing to you." "Your father would turn in his grave if he heard you say that." "Did my father have a heart attack because you went on strike?" "What are you saying?" "Maria told me." "She knows it from her father." "Everybody knew but me." "Let me tell you, I only knew the land." "Looking at the sea was only a dream." "After the war, I ran away from the village where I was working." "I took a train to the coast." "Next to me in the compartment was a man." "He spoke of the New Times and the youth building ships." "Henryk got me a job at the shipyard, too." "He was the first person to treat me like a human." "That's why I loved him." "And you were the fruit of that love." "Why didn't you ever tell me?" "I was so ashamed." "When I was pregnant, he left us." "Come in, please." "Come in." "Does your mother know you're here?" "Then have a seat." "You wanted to talk." "Have a seat." "Have a seat." "I don't really know." "I have no idea what your mother told you." "Sometimes things like this are really complicated." "Agnieszka made the decisions back then." "She doesn't think much of me, as you know." "What should I tell you?" "Okay, I wanted to help her." "It was when you were still young, but she said no." "Did you love her?" "We didn't even know what love was." "If that's how it was, there's no reason to be sad." "I'm really glad you came to see me." "I just wanted to know what you look like." "That's all." "Agnieszka, Sobecki wants to see you in his office." "Hello?" "Is anybody here?" "I'm happy to see you." "How is your son doing?" "What difference does it make?" "Mrs. Walczak, please." "Listen to me." "Eight years have passed since the big strike." "Lots of things have changed." "Those who did the shooting are gone." "We have a new Party Secretary." "Stores are stocked." "But is that everything?" "There are no microphones here." "Only the two of us." "We need you badly now." " We?" " Yes." "Yes, we, Mrs. Agnieszka." "Spiegel Magazine should publish a cover story about Poland." "We don't want the West to be deceived by Poland's mock democracy." "Tell that to Mr. Augstein, please." "Agnieszka Walczak, this is my husband." "Hello." "Andrzej." "Welcome." "Barbara." "I'm very happy to see you again, although you may not believe me." "We'll undoubtedly get along well." "Thank you, Mr. Kaminski." "Let's go." "Leszek, you know each other." "Leszek, I haven't seen you for ages." "What have you been doing?" "Not much since I was fired." "I think we could use a little toast." "Good idea." "Here's to holy Agnieszka, the patron saint of mothers, working women, and widows." " No, no, no." " Stop the press." "Why no?" "It's all just a bunch of patriotic drivel." "It'll never work." "That's just the point." "The workers have to recognize their own voice in our leaflets." "Mrs. Agnieszka, why don't you write something for us?" "No way." "It's out of the question." "I can operate cranes or weld, but I can't write newspapers." "Agnieszka, it's a fabulous idea." "Right, I think everybody should do what they do best." "But maybe Leszek can write." "After all, he's quite a speaker." "They fired me from the shipyard ages ago." "Nobody remembers me." "That's not right." "Lots of people still talk about you." "Agnieszka, try it." "I'll help you." "No." "Agnieszka." "Could you do me a favor?" "Are you willing to fight evil and stand on the side of goodness?" "We are willing." "Do you oppose evil in order to live amidst the freedom of...?" "A Pole!" "Karol Wojtyla is the new Pope." "I heard it on the radio." "We flee to thy protection, oh, Holy Mother of God." "Despise not our petitions and tribulations." "Deliver us from evil, oh, most gracious Virgin Mary." "I am a son of Polish soil, and at the same time, the Pope." "John Paul II." "I call out from the depths of this century." "I call out together with all of you, come over us, Holy Ghost." "Come over us, Holy Ghost." "Let my soul come down." "Let my soul come down." "And change the face of this land." "In July, the government drastically raised prices for basic foodstuffs." "Nobody will understand it." "No, we have to say it differently." "Just a moment." "Got some paper?" " Let me try it." " Here." "I'll try it." "Doesn't matter." "That there is no food in stores, and our kids have no idea what meat even looks like." "Those are the things we've gotten used to." "And it's only the big bosses who get proper nourishment." "But now they're telling us that the stores are full of food." "And we should thank the government." "But we aren't stupid!" "The Pope told us not to be afraid." "And he told us to change the face of Poland." "We need a sort of solidarity of human hearts." "That's it, more or less." "Got a cigarette for me?" "My wife won't let me smoke in front of the kid." "Agnieszka, let me tell you something." "I really used to respect you, but you weren't a coward like now." "Hiding this filthy crap under work benches." "You're real traitors!" "You think anyone will join you?" "What are you doing?" "What are you doing?" "We won't permit any leaflets at this shipyard!" "Who smuggled them in?" "Comrade Director," "I don't want to contradict you, but..." "Let's get this straight." "It's the gal who runs the crane." "Throw her out, and things will quiet down." "I don't think so." "She's been working here for 30 years." "We can't just fire her." "We need a convincing reason to do so." "Let it be known that she was immoral in her youth and slept around." "So what?" "She has an illegitimate kid but always goes to church and constantly boasts of Wojtyla!" "Shut up!" " Mrs. Walczak?" " Yes?" "Come with us, please." "Yell if you like." "We'll put you in there every day for the length of your shift." "See you tomorrow, Mrs. Walczak." "This is Mrs. Walczak." "What's going on?" "Get back to work." "Get back to work!" "If Agnieszka doesn't work, we won't either." "I assume you know why you were asked to come here." "I wasn't "asked. "" "Give me your factory ID." "You receive 1,235 zloty." "I've been working at this shipyard for nearly 30 years." "I'd be curious to know what reason they came up with for firing me." "Theft." "Your deceased husband was a factory trumpet player." "He played in the factory orchestra." "His trumpet was never returned." "It belongs to the factory." "August 1980" "Workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk are on strike, triggered by the dismissal of crane operator Agnieszka Walcz ak, a frequent recipient of the "heroine of labor" award." "It is not clear how the government in Warsaw will react." "Unofficial reports say the armed forces are on alert." "Agnieszka?" "Agnieszka, the army is on the outskirts." "There are 16,000 people waiting for you at the shipyard." "Agnieszka, the hospital called." "They were told to get beds ready." "The order came from the top." "Surgeons are on call." "You know what that means." "We sent you the director's car." "Come here before things get out of control." "Mrs. Walczak." "Mrs. Walczak, listen to this." ""Agnieszka was always an exemplary worker, but could never accept injustice." "Apparently, she is a nuisance now, because others are doing the same." "So we appeal to you to defend the crane operator Agnieszka. "" " All the best!" " Agnieszka!" "Please come with us." "Thank you." "Now I understand my dreams." "Agnieszka!" "Agnieszka!" "Agnieszka!" "Agnieszka!" "Thank you!" "Thank you to all of you!" "Leszek!" "Hey, did they pick you up with that car, too?" "No, I climbed over the wall like a thief." "What's going to happen now?" "I don't know." " Come here, Leszek." " Wait five more minutes, okay?" "Did you see all those people?" "They came here to support you." "They're risking their asses for you." "Yes, every single one." "At the moment, they're just demanding that you're rehired." "Think about what this could mean." "Imagine how we could use this chance." "If we play it right." "The shipyard is like Noah's Ark." "And a ship needs a captain!" "Exactly." "Don't give me that look." "I'm not the type." "Why not?" "You think the authorities would let a woman challenge them?" "We need a man at the top." "Let's get started." "Do you know what this strike costs?" "It will lead to an economic crisis." "The West is threatening to cancel all economic aid." "Please, be reasonable, and don't forget we are willing to make concessions." "It's obvious what's going on." "Anti-socialist elements are at work." "They're aiming for a political revolt." "They are workers, Polish workers." "Not "elements. "" "Their demands are justified." "Okay, perhaps we made some mistakes in the past." "But we should look ahead now." "And together..." "The wolf changes his fur but never his character." "We're fed up with your lies!" "When I heard about the strike, I stopped my streetcar." "Every streetcar has stopped." "Public transport is standing still." "Why are you striking?" "For Mrs. Walczak, whom I know from my streetcar." " Out of solidarity?" " Yes, out of solidarity." "Gdynia Shipyard began striking at 11:33." "Also Techmet, Oliwa, Pruszcz Gdanski." "And workers in Silesia, at Lublin Railway, and in Szczecin." "This is incredible." "Now we'll have to force them." "All right." "We have to discuss the matter." "Come with me, gentlemen." "What's up?" "I'm out." "Have you gone crazy, Sobecki?" "Come on!" "You're going with us." "Good luck." "Let me go!" "What do you want?" "Give me back my schnapps!" "Let him go!" "Leave him alone!" "He stole our overtime!" "You know that!" "Go out to the gate." "They need pickets." "Bochnak, I told you what was going to happen to you." "Just wait until your friends from the West take over this shipyard!" " Agnieszka, you got your job back!" " What's going on?" "Everybody who was fired is being rehired." "They'll get a raise of 1,500 zloty and a monument for the victims of 1970." "I won." "Like hell you won!" "You lost!" ""What a chance!" That's what you said!" "And now you sell it all for 1,500 zloty?" "That's all I could get." "Did they blackmail you?" "You did their dirty work!" "What about "Noah's Ark"?" "Our big chance?" "What's wrong with you?" "If you had your way, we'd revolt, and then the Russians would shoot us." "You've got to know when to stop." "You're a dreamer, and I'm talking politics." "They'll stone you." "They'll call you a traitor, an informer." "We'll see about that." "A ship needs a captain." "Agnieszka Walczak and all the others are being rehired." "A monument will be erected for the victims of 1970." "In addition, you'll get an immediate raise of 1,500 zloty." "That means the strike is over." "See you at work on Monday." "Stay here!" "Are you crazy?" "We can achieve much more!" "Stay here!" "Stay here!" "The strike must go on!" "Keep the gate shut!" "Stay here!" "We can achieve so much more!" "Don't go home yet!" "The strike must go on!" "We need a free workers' union!" "Stay here!" "You can't leave now!" "Stay here!" "We made it." "Don't you get it?" "Without the others, the army would have wiped us out." "They need us, our solidarity." "Don't you see?" "We have to support them like they supported us." "Say it loud." "Wait a minute!" "Wait another minute!" "I'm speaking on behalf of the people who are not here anymore." "I mean the people who were killed in 1970." "They fought for this shipyard." "And for a better life." "They were alone, but today the other shipyards support us." "And now we have to be loyal to them." "It isn't just our fight." "It's everybody's fight." "Do you understand me?" "The strike must go on." "So, should the strike go on?" "Should the strike go on?" "Yes!" "God, throughout the centuries You filled Poland with brightness" "And at this moment" "You surrounded us with care" "And saved us from bad fortune..." "Holy Mother, let's pray for us sinful men right now and at the moment of our death." "For our begging It's time to return to us" "Our free native country" "Agnieszka?" "And what?" "Is it how you imagined?" "On August 17, 1980, the government of the People's Republic of Poland sent a delegation from Warsaw to Danzig under the leadership of Vice Premier Jagielski to talk to the striking workers at the Lenin Shipyard and to come to a solution." "What about political prisoners?" " When will they be released?" " I'll discuss that in Warsaw." "Why don't you call Warsaw?" "There was a local tornado there." "Phone lines have been cut off and are being repaired." "We don't need that bullshit." "You can't scare us." "We demand a free workers' union." "And no army of tanks can change my mind." "The Prime Minister should tell people what he thinks." "That means that he should express his opinion about political prisoners." "We have no doubts about point one and point two." "It would be helpful to hear how the other points were accepted." "We leaders know already." "But we want the people outside to hear how the 21 points were accepted." "First, independent unions will be approved." "Yes." "Second, the right to strike will be written in the constitution." "Yes." "Third, those dismissed in '70 and '76 for striking will regain their rights." "Yes." "Fourth, the striking workers will receive pay for the time they were on strike." "Yes." "I have fulfilled every request you asked us to consider." "I did so because I was convinced that what we discussed was of utmost importance, and I always had those 21 points you demanded in mind." "Let's go out and join the people." "Leszek!" "Leszek!" "Leszek!" "Leszek!" "Leszek!" "Leszek!" "Cheers to Leszek!" "Cheers to Leszek!" "Cheers to Leszek!" "Cheers to Leszek!" "Cheers to Leszek!" "Cheers to Leszek!" "Cheers to Leszek!" "We have a right to be on strike!" "And the next rights will be set soon." "That's why we can be happy right now, because we have done a great job, and I didn't even realize how great." "And because I'm still shocked, it will take two more weeks." "I was trying to put myself in a position..." "There you are!" "25 Years Later" "It was a great victory back then." "And we didn't realize the strike would change all of Europe." "We didn't think that in six years, the Berlin Wall would fall and Poland would be a free country again." "And we didn't know that by winning, we would lose what we'd been fighting for." "Our solidarity." "Being divided, we couldn't undo all harm and injustice." "It is now up to the next generations to deal with it."