At the end of 1984, four officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs stood trial, accused of abducting and murdering Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, the chaplain of Solidarność – the independent trade union and mass social movement that became the main opposition to the communist regime in Poland. The trial, unprecedented in the history of Poland, is conducted swiftly and under strict state control, with Western journalists present in the courtroom, censored reporting and a clear objective: to limit responsibility to “four guilty men.” The film is a courtroom documentary constructed entirely from archival material: testimonies of the accused, witnesses and experts, as well as closing statements. Without external commentary or contemporary interviews, it reconstructs the course of the crime and the psychological portraits of its perpetrators – educated young men who, in the name of ideology, crossed the boundaries of law and humanity. At the same time, it exposes the mechanisms of systemic hatred toward the Church and the political opponents of the regime.
The minimalist courtroom form is interrupted by animated 3D models that symbolically visualize key moments of the abduction and murder that were never captured by cameras. As the trial unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that the victim himself is, in a sense, placed on trial, and that the proceedings serve not only to punish the direct perpetrators but also to relativize guilt and defend the system.
The Toruń Trial does not attempt to solve all the mysteries of the case. Instead, it is a study of the escalation of violence, responsibility diffused within the structures of power, and the language of hatred that turns people into instruments. The film ends with a bitter conclusion: the perpetrators soon regained their freedom, their superiors were never convicted, and the memory of the victim remains the only lasting testimony to those events.

Archives: The trial was broadcast on public television, and the core archival materials considered for the film consist of recordings of the trial itself. The preserved materials include over 100 hours of footage from the prosecutor’s office archives, several dozen minutes of television recordings from public broadcasting, more than 30 tapes held by the Documentary and Feature Film Studio, as well as audio recordings of radio broadcasts from the trial aired on Polish Radio. These materials will constitute the primary archival basis of the film. 

Tomasz Wolski

Tomasz Wolski  is a director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. Graduated from Wajda School, received his Ph.D. at the Lodz Film School. Participated in Berlinale Talents. Member of the Polish Filmmakers Association, the Polish Film Academy, and the European Film Academy. Since 2024, a member of the Council of the Polish Film Institute. His feature-length documentary, The Big Chief premiered at Visions du Reel 2025, and his previous film, 1970, has been screened at over 50 international festivals worldwide and won numerous awards (Visions du Réel, Krakow Film Festival, Zagrebdox, Festival Film Dokumenter, Batumi International Art House Film Festival). He also edited the films Babi Yar. Context and The Kiev Trial by Sergei Loznitsa and Horse Riders.

Kijora Films

Kijora Film produces documentaries and fictions with a strong focus on scripts about social and ethical issues of contemporary relevance and intimate, local stories. Kijora is working on author-driven films which are searching for bold forms of expression. Kijora’s productions have been selected for Berlinale, Busan, Visions du Réel, Slamdance, Camerimage and many other festivals.
As producers, they strive to create a creative space for creators to develop and produce feature and documentary films. They work on projects of an original nature, seeking new forms of expression and entering into a dialogue with the present. They also produce films about art and artists. Their catalogue includes, among others, a series about Polish design Rzecz Polska and a documentary about the sculptor Roman Stańczak. Kijora’s permanent team consists of three producers – Anna Gawlita, Marta Szymanowska and Tomasz Filiks, as well as production assistant Alicja Ścibiorek.