In the year 1974, in the heart of Silesia, preparations were in full swing for the arrival of Comrade Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Amidst this bustling activity, Dr. Jola Wadowska-Król, a paediatrician, found herself at a local festival with her husband, Zbyszek, their two children, and his mother. It was during this festive occasion that a little boy named Karol Tafis suddenly fainted and collapsed.
Jola, immediately recognizing the signs of anaemia in Karol, sprang into action to assess and treat him. The next morning, she shared her concerns with Zbyszek about the dusty and polluted environment around their apartment, prompting her to request a transfer to another clinic. At her new workplace, she noticed a similar layer of dust on the windows, further fueling her suspicions.
She then checked on a young boy who was also suffering from anaemia and discovered that he lived in the same vicinity as Karol. Jola's nurse, Wiesia, shared with her that children from Targowisko, a town replete with coal mines, frequently visited the clinic due to anaemia. Intrigued by this revelation, Jola decided to visit Targowisko and was shocked by the living conditions she encountered there.
The following day, Wiesia took Jola to visit the homes of children who had been brought to the clinic complaining of anaemia over the past few months. One by one, Jola examined each child, providing medical assistance where necessary. She even helped deliver a stillborn baby to one of the mothers, who tragically passed away. Jola was devastated by the delay in paramedic response and felt responsible for the loss of life.
Meanwhile, local politicians were engrossed in discussions about the preparations for Comrade Brezhnev's arrival, unaware of the dire situation unfolding in their midst.
The following morning, Jola ventured to the pediatric hospital, seeking to converse with the doctor who had been present during the birth of the stillborn baby. Her intention was to ascertain if the baby had also suffered from anemia, but the doctor remained unresponsive. Frustrated, Jola set out in search of Karol, only to be shocked to discover that the boy had not been taken to a hospital at all. She embarked on a quest to locate him and learned that he had been taken instead to a municipal hospital. It became apparent that pediatric hospitals in the region were plagued with a lack of space.
Jola visited the municipal hospital in search of Karol and was dismayed to find that it was treating children alongside adults. She shared her observations with Zbyszek, who worked at the same hospital, and voiced her suspicion that someone might be attempting to conceal something regarding the children's condition. Dressed in her husband's coat, Jola attempted to access the staff-only area in order to investigate Karol and the other children's conditions. She was alarmed to discover that all of the children had exceptionally low hemoglobin levels.
The next morning, Jola recounted her findings to Wiesia and requested that she inquire with other local hospitals to uncover similar cases. She visited another hospital and discovered even more children with low hemoglobin levels. One of the doctors noted down Jola's license plate and requested an investigation into her activities, as she had been snooping around.
Later that day, Jola's daughter, Joasia, was at the pool where the children were discussing Jola's visit to Targowisko to check up on the children. A boy named Marek stood up for Jola and spoke to Joasia in private.
At dinner, Jola requested Zbyszek to investigate the children who had been admitted to his hospital. Joasia brought up the incident from the pool and claimed that the kids had been calling her names. Zbyszek advised Jola to avoid getting into trouble again, but she refused to back down.
The following morning, Wiesia informed Jola that the number of anemia cases in Targowisko was four times higher than in a neighboring region. As Jola was certain that something was amiss, the police arrived to request a meeting with her.
The militia informs Jola that her car was involved in a hit-and-run incident, and she is promptly taken to the police station. Zbyszek informs Jola that their attorney will only be able to assist her the following day. Jola is taken into police custody that night.
Meanwhile, the politicians discuss how Jola is snooping around and trying to uncover the truth about the sick children's situation. Niedziela argues that stopping Jola would only worsen their situation in the media, diverting attention away from the arrival of Comrade Brezhnev. He requests the doctor's release and surveillance, confident that Jola will cease her investigation after spending a night in prison.
The next day, Jola and Zbyszek gather a few doctor friends at their home to celebrate Zbyszek's promotion as the new Director of the Department of Urology. The doctors discuss the children that Jola was working with and mention how lead poisoning affects children. This gives Jola a clue about what was going on with the kids. She goes back to the paediatric hospital to check up on the children. When a little girl coughs up blood on Jola's face, she asks to see the lead paediatrician.
Jola goes to the lead paediatrician's house to inform her about the lead poisoning epidemic in the region. Niedziela, who is monitoring the paediatrician, overhears her conversation with Jola and calls the Comrade Secretary to inform him about Jola's actions.
The scene is filled with tension and intrigue as Jola's determination to uncover the truth clashes with Niedziela's efforts to keep the situation under wraps. The doctors' discussion adds a layer of medical urgency to the situation, highlighting the potential consequences of lead poisoning on children's health. Jola's encounter with the little girl coughing up blood serves as a powerful reminder of the severity of the issue and motivates her to take action. Niedziela's eavesdropping and subsequent call to the Comrade Secretary further complicate the situation, adding a political dimension to Jola's investigation.
