Decalogue I

On a single day a university professor who studies language and a tech minded father raise their young son with a firm grip on science and reason. His sister Irena, the aunt, holds a faith that quietly frames their world. Through a sequence of ordinary conversations and routines the film probes how two adults handle questions that challenge their core beliefs. The day includes lessons, car rides, and quiet evenings at home as a way to show how knowledge and belief coexist without easy answers. As the day unfolds, the boundaries between science and faith begin to blur, leaving questions rather than answers. Small acts reveal how ethics shape certainty as the day tests belief in ordinary life.

Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, Decalogue I was produced for Polish television as the first installment of the Decalogue. The screenplay is by Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, and the story sits within the Ten Commandments inspired framework and reflects television cinema.

As a television film, Decalogue I did not have a theatrical release and therefore has no box office gross to report. It premiered on television and, after its airing, traveled to international film festivals where critics discussed Kieslowski's approach.

Decalogue I is often cited for its moral calculus and restrained storytelling. The contrast between the rational professor and the faith grounded aunt has influenced discussions of faith and science, shaping how viewers think about belief in everyday life and in relationships, screen and in discussions today worldwide among critics.

The film draws critical praise for its precise direction, quiet performances, and its focus on questions rather than answers. It probes how personal bonds, intellectual certainty, and spiritual longing collide when a day narrows in on what each character considers true, placing ordinary choices under philosophical scrutiny and inviting disagreement and moral complexity.