Józef (Jan Nowicki) travels to the sanatorium where his father (Taduesz Kondrat) is staying. Upon arrival, he discovers a ruinous wonderland where time slowly drips away and the borders between dreams, memories and fantasies are never quite clear. Inspired by the literature of Bruno Schulz, The Hourglass Sanatorium captures the mystical poetics of an author characterised by labyrinthine surrealism. Although the Polish authorities forbid Wojciech Has from submitting his film to Cannes Film Festival, he managed to smuggle a print abroad, eventually winning the Jury Award (1973).
