Ashes and Diamonds
7.7
“Touched with the fire and rebellion of a new generation of Polish film makers”
A young academy soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, is ordered to shoot the secretary of the KW PPR. A coincidence causes him to kill someone else. Meeting face to face with his victim, he gets a shock. He faces the necessity of repeating the assassination. He meets Krystyna, a girl working as a barmaid in the restaurant of the "Monopol" hotel. His affection for her makes him even more aware of the senselessness of killing at the end of the war. Loyalty to the oath he took, and thus the obligation to obey the order, tips the scales.
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Cast
31 people
Zbigniew Cybulski
Maciek Chełmicki
Known for
The Saragossa Manuscript
Night Train
Ewa Krzyżewska
Krystyna Rozbicka
Known for
Pharaoh
Wacław Zastrzeżynski
Szczuka
Also in
The Chase
Adam Pawlikowski
Andrzej Kossecki
Known for
Kanal
Bogumił Kobiela
Drewnowski
Known for
The Saragossa Manuscript
Jan Ciecierski
Porter
Also in
The Conductor
Samson
Stanisław Milski
Pieniążek
Known for
Pharaoh
How I Unleashed World War II, Part I: The Escape
Artur Młodnicki
Kotowicz
Also in
How to Be Loved
Clouds of War
Halina Kwiatkowska
Staniewiczowa
Also in
The Doll
Calling 07
Ignacy Machowski
Waga
Known for
The Silent Star
Night Train
Zbigniew Skowroński
Slomka
Known for
Knights of the Teutonic Order
Barbara Krafftówna
Stefka
Known for
Four Tank-Men and a Dog
The Saragossa Manuscript
Andrzej Wajda Director · Jerzy Andrzejewski Screenplay Jerzy Wójcik Cinematographer
United States release May 29, 1961 · Produced in Poland · Production Zespól Filmowy "Kadr"
Production
Zespół Filmowy Kadr
Production
Zespól Filmowy "Kadr"
Production
Poland
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Popiół i diament
Original language
Polish
Spoken on screen
Polish
Release dates
Poland · October 3, 1958
Theatrical
United States · May 29, 1961
Theatrical
United States
July 16, 2014 · Theatrical · (Maine International Film Festival)
January 8, 2017 · Limited theatrical · Palm Springs International Film Festival
Argentina
November 7, 2008 · Theatrical · (Mar del Plata Film Festival)
Brazil
October 25, 2026 · Premiere · São Paulo International Film Festival (2K Restoration)
China
June 12, 2026 · Premiere · Shanghai International Film Festival
Denmark
February 18, 1960 · Theatrical
Finland
February 5, 1960 · Theatrical
August 19, 1977 · Theatrical · (re-release)
France
October 1, 1959 · Theatrical · Visa CNC 22794
Germany
October 27, 1961 · Theatrical · West Germany
May 9, 1968 · Theatrical · East Germany
Greece
October 24, 2010 · Theatrical · (Panorama of European Cinema)
Hong Kong SAR China
July 8, 1961 · Theatrical
Italy
August 31, 1959 · Theatrical · (Venice Film Festival)
September 27, 1959 · Theatrical · (Turin International Film Week)
December 10, 1960 · Theatrical
Japan
July 7, 1959 · Theatrical
November 27, 2012 · Theatrical · (Poland Film Festival)
November 15, 2015 · Theatrical · (Maine International Film Festival)
Russia
April 12, 1965 · Theatrical · (Moscow premiere)
October 13, 1965 · Theatrical
Sweden
November 2, 1959 · Theatrical
Taiwan
December 7, 2012 · Theatrical · (Andrzej Wajda Retrospective)
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Some details come from TheTVDB.