BITWA WROCŁAWSKA

During the period of martial law in the eighties the typical streetscape in Poland is dominated by the presence of military personnel. Waldemar Kras, then fifteen years old, is keeping a diary, in which he collects newspaper excerpts and describes the banalities of everyday life in his home town of Wrocław. As of August 31st 1982, the contents of his journal change however, as his notes come to be dominated by the increasing police presence on the streets, as well as details of armoured vehicles and the ongoing military build-up. Thirty years later he donates his journal to the Instytut Pamięci Narodowej (Institute of National Remembrance).

On August 31st 1982 the largest political demonstration was held since the declaration of martial law. The protest was violently suppressed, with three people losing their lives in the process. In this documentary film Beata Januchta juxtaposes Kras' diary entries with security establishment reports and reflections both of fellow protest participants and activists who, at the time, were forced to go underground. Previously unreleased archive footage completes this portrayal of events that date back more than thirty-five years. KM