Narra las jornadas revolucionarias en los astilleros navales de Gdansk (o Danzig) protagonizadas por los obreros del sindicato Solidaridad, en el verano de 1980. Ese mismo año, un periodista radiofónico, más amigo del régimen comunista que de la verdad, debe cumplir una misión de difamación contra un destacado militante del sindicato Solidaridad, que resulta ser el hijo del héroe de "El hombre de mármol" (1977).
The main hero obsessively wants to become an actor. The would-be actor fails two entrance exams to the state acting school and has a nervous breakdown. Eventually he commits himself to the mental institution where patients are rehabilitated by doing some artwork. He refuses to paint but does some acting. He participates in a play where a lead, playing Oedipus, actually blinds himself. Out of the institution he has dreams of killing his father, but finally seems to be ready to start over again and either act without the state license or take another job.