23/01/2026

A Year in Hell

Today, the fifth and penultimate episode of the series “Heaven. A Year in Hell” premiered on the HBO Max platform. On January 30, viewers will be able to watch the complete season of this miniseries inspired by true events.

The six-episode series is directed by Bartosz Blaschke, known for the film Sonata and the series Śleboda. Its story refers to the history of the infamous Heaven sect led by Bogdan Kacmajor.

“Heaven” tells the story of a young, idealistic 19-year-old who gives up his studies and joins a religious cult.

“‘Heaven. Five Years in a Cult’ | dir. Bartosz Blaschke

Sebastian (Stanisław Linowski) is forced to abandon his dream of becoming an actor and study law to fulfil the ambitions of his lonely and domineering mother (Anna Radwan). Suffering from chronic pain that conventional medicine cannot cure, Sebastian turns to a charismatic healer, Piotr (Tomasz Kot). Fascinated by him, Sebastian decides to leave his former life behind and join his spiritual commune. He soon recruits Aneta (Zofia Jastrzębska), a girl from a wealthy but emotionally cold home, who in Heaven becomes his wife.

“‘Heaven. Five Years in a Cult’ | dir. Bartosz Blaschke

A dozen or so people who have renounced material possessions and their former lives live deep in the forest, obeying strict rules set by their guru and his wife Dorota (Magdalena Różczka). What initially appears to be an innocent community built on ideals of freedom gradually reveals its dark and brutal side, ruled by violence, manipulation and fanaticism.

“The new miniseries directed by Bartosz Blaschke approaches the subject of cults and the mechanisms they use to recruit new members in a very compelling way,” we read on NaEkranie. “The leader always shows interest and provides care – the kind potential members often lack at home. These are usually lost people with various social deficits. They struggle to build healthy relationships with those closest to them. They face problems they cannot solve on their own and would most like to escape from.

Heaven comes to their aid, a place at whose gates all earthly troubles are supposedly left behind. There, a person is said to be born again. They live closer to God and His laws. Social law no longer applies. The commandments of the Creator matter most. Everything else is irrelevant noise.”

“‘Heaven. Five Years in a Cult’ | dir. Bartosz Blaschke

“‘Heaven. Five Years in a Cult’ is a story about how easily the boundary between good and evil can be erased,” says Zofia Jastrzębska, who plays Aneta. “It exposes what is most genuine in people – the need for faith, closeness and meaning. It shows how easily someone can turn those desires against us. It is not only a story about a cult. It is a story about anyone who has ever searched for light and ended up in darkness. While working on the series, I touched a place where love mixed with fear and faith with pain.”

The series is based on a true story. In the 1990s, Sebastian Keller spent five years as a member of the Heaven sect. He described his experiences in the book Niebo. Pięć lat w sekcie, which became the inspiration for the creators of the series.

“Heaven. A Year in Hell”
Directed by Bartosz Blaschke
Platform: HBO Max