During a pogrom in Poland on the eve of World War I, a group of Jews seek refuge from the Cossacks. The fugitives hide out in a rural inn, terrified that they may be given away at any moment.
Direction
Kawalerowicz turns a single location into a pressure cooker of dread.
Acting
Pszoniak's Rudy Josełe—shifty, desperate, unforgettable.
Production
The inn itself: lived-in, crumbling, a character with rotting floorboards.
Director
Jerzy Kawalerowicz
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during martial law in Poland, the film's claustrophobic terror resonated with audiences living under surveillance—though Kawalerowicz denied political allegory.
The entire film was shot in a single inn built specifically for production; cast lived on set to capture the stifling atmosphere.
PL
