1945. A packed ferry drifts down the Vistula after its tow rope snaps. Only a single militiaman sees notices the ferry and organizes a rescue before the it drifts into the Gdańsk Bay, which is still full of mines.
Set in the 19th century Warsaw. The indolence of aristocrats who, secure with their pensions, are too lazy to undertake new business risks, frustrates Wokulski. His ability to make money is respected but his lack of family and social rank is condescended to. Because of his "help" (in secret) to "the doll's" impecunious but influential father, the girl becomes aware of his affection.
A peasant girl is abandoned by her fiancé after she has talked her father into giving her his land as a dowry.
The young and beautiful wife of a prominent diplomat complains of boredom. To change her monotonous life, she has an affair, through which she gets entangled in intrigues and espionage affairs.
A group of people find themselves stuck in remote train station in German-occupied Poland. A drunk German station guard there gets paranoid and sees partisans all around him, phones headquarters, and when the German soldiers arrive and search the station they find a gun. They then threaten to execute every fifth person unless someone claims it.
Three separate short stories about young athletes who lose their chances of success. Young swimmer - because of unhappy love. Boxer because of a fight with hooligans, for which the judges will disqualify him. But the cyclist must decide for himself what is more important for him: victory or friendship.
A spy film about Professor Skalski's invention - rays that could stop engines, thus avoiding wars - which becomes the focus of foreign intelligence. In order to take over the discovery, a secret agent is sent to reach the invention via the professor's son.