Hospital of the Transfiguration 1979

Stefan arrives at the closed psychiatric hospital

In late 1939, Stefan joins the hospital as a young doctor, bringing humanitarian ideals to a place that is wary of outsiders. He is accepted by the director, Dr. Pajączkowski, and begins his work under the supervision of the cynical Dr. Rygier. The atmosphere is tense, with skepticism about new approaches to treatment already in the air.

Rygier’s brutal methods come to light

Rygier subjects patients to humiliating experimental treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy, which Stefan finds morally troubling. He witnesses a surgery on Andrzej, a brain cancer patient, that nearly destroys the patient’s mental faculties. Stefan’s disapproval of these methods deepens as the hospital’s bedside reality clashes with his ideals.

Sekułowski arrives and confronts Stefan

The drug-addicted writer Sekułowski seeks refuge in the hospital and quickly begins to provoke the young doctor with sharp criticism, accusing him of lacking life experience. This adds another layer of tension and cynicism inside the already fragile institution. Stefan is forced to navigate these provocative interactions while trying to help patients.

Kauters and Marglewski reveal their obsessions

The hospital becomes a display of competing philosophies: Dr. Kauters favors only surgical methods, while Dr. Marglewski reduces mental illness to possession. Stefan notices these obsessions shaping decisions and care, emphasizing the rift between humane care and dogmatic approaches.

Thiesdorf arrives to liquidate the hospital

An SS officer named Thiesdorf arrives, announcing the liquidation of the psychiatric hospital. His presence foreshadows the collapse of the staff’s fragile autonomy and signals a brutal new order. Reactions among the staff range from fear to strained resignation.

Stefan’s rebellion grows, but Pajączkowski remains cautious

Stefan becomes increasingly defiant toward Rygier’s methods, but he cannot count on strong support from director Pajączkowski. Rygier tries to label Stefan with a ‘Masonic’ scientific background to discredit him, intensifying the internal power struggle. The director’s caution leaves Stefan isolated in his moral stance.

Nosilewska confesses her past

Dr. Nosilewska secretly confesses to Stefan that she fled from Austria after it was occupied. Her revelation adds a personal dimension to the unfolding horror and underscores how the occupation ties into the hospital’s doomed fate. Stefan’s sense of futility grows as the political reality intrudes on medicine.

Stefan faces the futility of idealism and witnesses malpractice

Stefan begins to realize the futility of his idealism in the face of entrenched misconduct. He witnesses Kauters' failed surgery and Marglewski’s charlatanism, which erode any remaining trust in the hospital’s care. The cracks in the system become impossible to ignore as liquidation looms.

Liquidation day: Stefan aids, and cyanide is used

On the day of liquidation, Pajączkowski cannot obtain consent from Rygier, Kauters, and Marglewski to act; Stefan chooses to support him, distributing the remaining medicines to patients. At Sekułowski’s request, he adds cyanide to the writer’s drink and burns the files, attempting to salvage some dignity amid chaos.

Arrests begin: Nosilewska and others taken

As the Germans enter the grounds, part of the hospital staff is arrested. Nosilewska is taken away as a Jew, and Pajączkowski shares her fate. The wave of arrests marks a definitive end to any pretense of institutional protection for the patients.

Sekułowski’s act of resistance

Sekułowski, resisting arrest, takes cyanide and dies. His suicide becomes a grim symbol of the doomed resistance within the hospital’s walls. The event underscores the perilous choices faced by those trapped in this liquidation.

Forced march to execution begins

SS officers lead the remaining staff and patients out of the building toward execution. Stefan, hidden among the gowns, tries to rescue a young boy, but the boy dies in his arms, highlighting the human tragedy of the moment. The hospital’s interior violence spills into the open air.

Stefan vanishes into the forest

When an SS patrol is spotted in the forest, Stefan flees and disappears into the fog. His disappearance leaves the fate of those left behind even more uncertain as the search and violence continue beyond the hospital’s reach.