Jacek Janczarski

"Zmiennicy" is a grotesque comedy of absurdity and reality that masterfully blends slapstick, satire, and surrealism to expose the absurdities of life under communist rule in the People's Republic of Poland (PRL). The story follows Jacek Żytkiewicz, a taxi driver in Warsaw, and his mysterious new shift partner, Katarzyna Piórecka, who disguises herself as a man to get the job. The series is a comedy of the grotesque, filled with exaggerated characters, nonsensical bureaucracy, and surreal plot twists. It mocks the inefficiencies and contradictions of PRL institutions—from corrupt officials and inept police to bizarre workplace dynamics and social hypocrisy. Underneath the absurdity lies a thriller-like subplot: a drug trafficking operation smuggling heroin from Thailand to West Germany. This storyline, featuring shady sports officials, a Thai student, and a crooked firefighter, adds a layer of intrigue reminiscent of American crime dramas.

The protagonist of the film is Józek Mikuła, a "peasant worker" who runs a small farm with his mother and makes a living as a truck driver at a nearby cement plant. When one day he wins a million in a toto-lottery, news of his unexpected fortune spreads rapidly through the village. Józek decides to invest the money wisely: he buys more land, renovates farm buildings, brings in machinery. He has a gesture - he funds the village with a color TV, which he installs in the clubhouse. But neighbors are stung by Józek's unexpected wealth.

The dangerous thug Pif-Paf escapes from prison. Bolek and Lolek bravely chase after him through the prairie, canyons and rocky mountains.

Roberto is a young Cuban who is visiting Poland. And times are not merry - the Cuban conflict is about to begin. His stay is not successful, so Roberto returns to his country.

Night, fog, rain. A narrow Masurian road. Speeding trucks. A lonely man behind the wheel of an old car is rushing home to his daughter's concert. He overtakes the trucks, rushing towards his destiny. That destiny is a drug-addicted girl dancing on the road and waving a burning jacket like a torch. Miraculously, the trucks avoid her. The man is the commander of the local police station, the girl is a drug addict from a nearby rehab center. She will die under the wheels, and he will do everything he can to explain what she was doing on the road at night. He will make heroic attempts not to become like those around him: corrupt authorities and police, drug dealers selling their wares even under the mayor's window. His name is Leon Kamelski, but everyone calls him Chameleon.

Four friends work out the interests of a dishonest businessman.

December, 1981. World-class champion Ewa Jaskólska is looking forward to a cruise around the world with her yacht. At her farewell party, several people are present that are connected to the new Solidarnośc movement. The guests are filmed by a TV journalist. The introduction of the martial law in Poland leads to problems for all people involved. Can Ewa go back to her home country after these dramatic changes in Poland?

A young man, to ensure that he will pass the high school maturity test, convinces his girlfriend to help him steal the answer sheets.