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A group of students are spending the summer vacation at a university camp studying the science of linguistics. One of the camp directors, Jaroslaw, is a young professor who prefers the straightforward, intimate approach to students. He is opposed in his liberal views by Jakub, who likes to manipulate people. There is a confrontation from the beginning when Jaroslaw allows to attend the seminar a student who presents the views not according to the official line. In the end, a jury prize is given to mediocre paper, while the suspected school of thought still draws a recommendation. Finally the deputy rector arrives for the closing ceremonies, and since he disfavors the line of thought awarded by the recommendation the tensions rise. They climax when student in question bites the rector in the ear while receiving recommendation. The confrontation results in a scandal and the police is called in.

A violinist in a provincial Polish orchestra, whose husband is the director of the ensemble, on a visit to the U.S., ties up with the world-renowned symphony conductor. As it turns out, he was once in love with the violinist's mother. The conductor, a slightly unstable hypochondriac, returns to Poland to lead the provincial orchestra. He also tries to revive an old love affair using the violinist as a surrogate of her mother. Her husband is resentful of the conductor for personal and professional reasons.

Set in the late '20s. A thirtyish young man, who heads a small factory, faints at the funeral of a close friend. He decides to go home to his aunt and uncle for a while, but gets involved with a family of five women who had been in love with him at one time though he had apparently loved only one, who, unknown to him, has died since his departure. The women are mainly disillusioned with life or estranged from husbands while the youngest has a crush on him.

The film opens with the mad rush of haphazard freedom as the concentration camps are liberated. Men are trying to grab food, change clothes, bury the tormentors they find alive. They are then herded into other camps as the Allies try to devise means to control the situation. A young poet, who cannot quite find himself in this new situation, meets a headstrong young Jewish girl who wants him to run off with her to the West. He cannot cope with her growing demands for affection, and still feels hatred for the Germans and disdain for his fellow men, who quickly revert to petty enmities.

The events take place in a villa of a wealthy doctor on the occasion of the family wedding. The young couple agreed on their vows before the civil authorities but the girl backs out during the church ceremony because a young man is an egoist not interested in having children and is only career oriented. An aging relative of the family, a former star ballerina, comes to Warsaw for the wedding with her daughter. The two do not get along well. The party begins to degenerate in the church when the bride walks off with the groom in angry pursuit. The rest retire to the villa to celebrate anyway. They start with naked party in the sauna. Deals are made on the side between corrupt officials. In the end the son is taken to the hospital because of attempted suicide.

Wlodek is a shy man who's afraid of his mother as well as his wife. However, upon meeting Irena, his life takes a new turn.

The film is set in a small town near Warsaw, to which a young up-and-coming director comes to produce a classic play (Wyspianski "Wyzwolenie") in a modern vein. Everyone in the production gets his usual stereotypical role, but the aging idol of the ensemble senses the opportunity to give the performance of his life. For the young director everything is already set. The leading man, however, is not giving up and is trying to restore the role according to his view. His wife listens to his fears, complaints and frustrations, while resigning herself to a fading career in a puppet theatre.

The crusty hero, Habryka, is an old miner who has won many worker medals and is now retired with his youngest son and latter's family living with him. To build new apartment buildings, the old houses are being bought out, the residents given apartments in the new houses, and being cleared away. But Habryka refuses to sell. He thinks his house has too much history, and he will not leave even if the new place have more modern facilities. Everybody tries to convince him. His son's wife leaves, he is threatened but to no avail. Finally he gives in when the irate head of the mine gives him a new model house. Unfortunately the house is in a remote location and many gadgets confuse the wife. They are lonely. He dies in his sleep, and later gets a giant funeral as a homage to one of the oldest miners in the district.

Two old friends, a filmmaker and a musician, reunite and discuss their opposite views on art and life while looking back at their choices.