The six-part true crime drama series Wśród nocnej ciszy debuts on November 13 on HBO Max, as reported by wyborcza.pl.
Directed by Jan Holoubek and Maciej Kowalewski, the production revisits a triple murder committed during Christmas in 1976. The series explores how a small community and institutional apparatus handled the crime.
The 1976 Połaniec Christmas Crime
On the night between December 24 and 25, 1976, eighteen-year-old pregnant Krystyna Łukaszek, her twenty-five-year-old husband Stanisław, and her twelve-year-old brother Mieczysław were killed on a road from Połańca to Zrębin after leaving midnight mass, according to wyborcza.pl and wysokieobcasy.pl.
Prosecutor’s office records initially framed the event as an accidental vehicular collision involving a stolen village bus on an icy road. Young investigator Henryk Maczek and Zdzisława Kaleta, mother of two of the victims, disputed the official accident narrative due to conflicting body placements and physical injuries.
Series draws inspiration from Wiesław Łuka reportage book
The production draws direct inspiration from journalist Wiesław Łuka’s reportage book titled Nie oświadczam się, which documented the Połaniec case and the subsequent community silence surrounding thirty witnesses, wysokieobcasy.pl reported.
Actor Łukasz Simlat described his role as village headman Lech Wojda in an interview with Jedynka – Polskie Radio, explaining that the character was designed to mask a toxic nature beneath the guise of a supportive local community figure. Simlat spent fifty-five shooting days on set utilizing a prosthetic dental appliance and custom ear shaping to alter his physical appearance for the series, which Glamour noted consists of six episodes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Wśród nocnej ciszy premiere?
The series debuts on November 13 on HBO Max, according to wyborcza.pl.
What real events inspired the series?
The show is based on the 1976 Christmas Eve murders of Krystyna Łukaszek, Stanisław Łukaszek, and Mieczysław Łukaszek near Połaniec, documented in Wiesław Łuka’s book Nie oświadczam się, as noted by Glamour.
Who stars in the HBO Max production?
The cast features Łukasz Simlat as Lech Wojda and Justyna Wasilewska, among others, according to Jedynka – Polskie Radio and Glamour.
Worth a look