Man of Marble 1977

Agnieszka starts the film project

Agnieszka announces her film thesis and begins gathering material. She struggles with archives and museum pieces that serve only official propaganda, and she searches for a fuller picture of Mateusz Birkut.

Birkut rises as a hero in Nowa Huta

Mateusz Birkut becomes a hero through a spectacular bricklaying feat that is broadcast as a symbol of progress in Nowa Huta. He is selected by Party Secretary Jodla to represent the city’s modernisation, and his fame spreads beyond the yard.

Formation of the propaganda narrative

Agnieszka is directed towards Building Our Happiness, the propaganda film about Birkut, and Jerzy Burski recounts making it. He hints at undisclosed details and sets up a contact who knew Birkut, suggesting the truth lies beyond the footage. The story moves from hagiography toward a more troubling history.

Birkut’s accident and its aftermath

An accident injures Birkut when a heated brick scorches his hands, forcing him to abandon further bricklaying feats. The incident foreshadows a slow decline and a widening gap between his ideals and the state’s expectations.

Birkut enters the inspectorate amid conflict

Placed in the inspectorate, Birkut remains beloved by workers but faces creeping bureaucracy that saps his momentum. He still advocates for workers, but the system’s constraints begin to erode his autonomy.

Witek’s arrest and Birkut’s defense

Wincenty Witek, Birkut’s friend, is arrested by the state as part of the crackdown on dissent and saboteur rumors. Birkut fights for his release, arguing from the street-level trust of the workers to the authorities.

Despair leads to a reckless act

Losing hope, Birkut falls into despair and drunkenly attacks a local party building, breaking a window. The act marks a visible collapse of his public image and signals a deeper wound in his relationship with the Party.

The trial of the Skocznia Gang

Archive newsreels cover the trial of the Skocznia Gang, with Witek and others sentenced to prison terms or reeducation. Birkut's own fate is implicit, and the public narrative continues to be controlled.

Witek’s post-prison career in Katowice

After imprisonment, Witek becomes an official in Katowice and repeatedly echoes the Party line in interviews, dodging direct questions about Birkut. His career illustrates how the state repurposes individuals for propaganda.

Interview with Hanka, Birkut’s wife

Agnieszka interviews Hanka, Birkut’s wife, who becomes distressed at confronting her husband’s past. She recounts how Birkut tracked her down and declined opportunities to exploit her story, but she has fallen into drunkenness and shame.

Censorship and confiscation of footage

Authorities rescind support for the film and confiscate her cameras and reels, stalling the project. A newly found Birkut recording remains locked in archives, and editing it into the film is forbidden.

Father’s counsel to press on

Agnieszka’s father consoles her and speculates there is one specific reason behind the authorities’ fear of disclosure. He urges her to locate Birkut and talk to him directly, even if the film is no longer viable.

Search leads to Maciej in Gdańsk

Spurred by his advice, Agnieszka tracks down Mateusz’s son Maciej in the Gdańsk Shipyard and learns that his father is believed to be dead years ago.