"Among the Night Silence": Jan Holoubek on the Połaniec crime and the mechanics of hatred

The Polish series "Wśród Nocnej Ciszy" returns to the tragedy of 25 December 1976, known as the Połaniec crime. The production is set to premiere on HBO Max in November.

A story from the first day of Christmas

The first day of Christmas 1976, winter and night. Three young people are killed under the wheels of a bus that was carrying them home from a midnight mass. The script, based on a reportage by Wiesław Łuka, was written by Maciej Kowalewski, who is responsible for episodes 1 to 6. The first episode was written together with Piotr Konstantinow.

Cast and production

The production is handled by Lulu Production on commission from TVN Warner Bros. Discovery for HBO Max. The cast includes Łukasz Simlat, who plays village head Lech Wojda, Jędrzej Hycnar as investigator Henryk Maczek, and Magdalena Biegańska as the mother of the victims, Zdzisława Kaleta.

The mechanics of evil, not only cruelty

As Onet Kultura reports, Jan Holoubek does not want to limit the story to showing brutality. He is more interested in what allows some people to strip others of their humanity. The director comments: "I see that this keeps happening and that people learn nothing."

The series is therefore meant to be not only a reconstruction of one crime but also a reflection on how such acts come about. Details about the premiere date and availability outside Poland have not yet been given.