The story I present in Buttons is essentially one drawn, perhaps not directly from my family home, but in some sense from family tradition. When I first heard it while still in high school, at the Christmas table, I was shocked that the protagonist of such an extraordinary tale was someone close— a member of my own family. The story he told about Polish workers discovering the Katyn graves was vastly different from what school textbooks said on the subject, which portrayed the discoverers as Germans. And I think even then I knew I would one day have to preserve this story.

The opportunity came late, but fortunately not too late to take advantage of it. When it came time to choose the topic for my graduation project, I no longer had much doubt about what I wanted to film. The surprise of those who watched the film, including the graduation committee, confirmed my belief that Buttons, though perhaps imperfect technically and stylistically, fills a certain gap (or rather, corrects a common misconception) in public knowledge about Katyn.

The documentary film ‘Za Bochen Chleba’ tells the story of the murder of Marianna, Leon and Stefan Lubkiewicz, who were murdered on 13 January 1943 in Sadowne for handing over two loaves of bread to two Jewish women in hiding. The production also recalls the story of Lucyna Radziejowska from near Sadowne, who was deported to the Auschwitz German extermination camp for hiding a Jewish woman and her teenage son. It all happened in a demographically specific community, combining numerous Polish, Jewish and German communities, over which the shadow of the nearby Treblinka extermination camp hovered during the occupation.

Do you have plans to spend Christmas Eve with your parents? You’ve barely crossed the doorstep, and you already want to run away! Many of us have had difficult Christmas experiences… Many of us struggle to discover what the holidays are really about. Are you one of them? Then you absolutely have to see this film!

An amazing cast, fast-paced action, surprising twists. Depth and meaning. And all of it in just 13 minutes!

The book is a testimony to everyday life lived in an extraordinary way, where Christ Himself is the nourishment that satisfies every hunger and thirst.

In a surprisingly sincere and unobtrusive manner, the following people share their faith, prayer life, relationship with God, and spiritual struggles: K. Zanussi, R. Pazura, P. Żyłka, Fr. G. Michalczyk, M. Cimińska, M. Styczeń, E. Daszkowski, K. Krawczyk, Fr. H. Zieliński, M. Wójcik, Fr. P. Kawecki.

The interviews collected in this book reveal individuals who are fully aware of who they are and for whom they live, building their lives on Christ.