The story of legendary Polish pole vaulter Władysław Kozakiewicz. At the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, in front of millions of television viewers, he gives the Soviet spectators in the stadium the bras d’honneur, an unsporting and offensive gesture which is interpreted as political provocation. Back in Soviet-dominated Poland, Kozakiewicz becomes a national hero, winning enormous popularity and influence. But when his form wavers, sports activists faithful to the communist regime come down on him like a ton of bricks. Will the man who loves pole vaulting above all else succeed in returning to the top?