The Third Part of the Night

The action takes place in the early 1940s amid the German occupation of Poland. Civilians endure rationing, roundups, and violence carried out by the Gestapo and Wehrmacht. The period provides the backdrop for moral crises, resistance, and the dehumanization of ordinary life under totalitarian rule.

Set in occupied Poland during World War II, the story unfolds across a town, its surrounding forest, a villa, and a hospital laboratory. The setting juxtaposes intimate home interiors with brutal public spaces under Nazi control. Fear, scarcity, and surveillance shape daily life as the protagonist navigates danger and loss.

🕯️ Existence

The film probes what remains of personal meaning under brutal oppression. Michał’s reality repeatedly dissolves into visions of his wife and other figures, suggesting memory as a fragile anchor. The narrative shows that truth and love may persist only through perception and choice amid cruelty. The tension between what is real and what is perceived drives the protagonist’s inner journey.

🕊️ Faith

Religious imagery and figures—nuns, prayers, and references to meaning—emerge as a counterpoint to pervasive violence. Characters seek solace in faith even as the world seems to lose its moral center. The film questions whether belief can endure when life is reduced to survival and uncertainty. Moments of spiritual reflection contrast with the material cruelty around them.

🧭 Resistance

Survival and moral choice push Michał toward resistance, even as danger mounts. The narrative explores how solidarity, rationing, and small acts of defiance shape a fragile ethics under occupation. The boundary between collaboration and rebellion blurs as people navigate scarcity and coercion. The characters’ actions reveal how courage can emerge in unexpected, imperfect forms.