Roman is a 16-year-old Jewish teenager living in the overcrowded Warsaw Ghetto with his mother, stepfather, and siblings. He works at a factory making bootstraps for German soldiers, earning meager food rations for his family. Consumed by anger at the conditions forced upon them, he shoulders the heavy responsibility of keeping his loved ones alive while suppressing his urge to fight back.

Emilia is a 13-year-old Catholic girl living on the non-Jewish side of Warsaw with her adoptive family. Having lost her biological father and brother to executions, she lives under a false identity to evade German detection. Sheltered but restless, she seeks purpose beyond the confines of her apartment courtyard, using her artistic talent to document the world around her.

Sara is a nurse and social worker living in the same apartment building as the Rabinek family. After losing her husband and young son in a bombing, she channels her resources into covert, highly dangerous operations. Pragmatic and methodical, she maintains strict professional boundaries while operating her network.

Truda is Emilia's adoptive mother, providing strict but deeply protective care. She masks her intense emotional investment in her family's safety behind a brusque, practical exterior. Her primary concern remains keeping her household secure from the daily threats of the military occupation.

Mateusz is Emilia's adoptive father and the moral center of the Rabinek household. He offers quiet stability during crises, balancing his wife's intense anxiety with philosophical acceptance. He operates a business and quietly tolerates immense risks to protect his loved ones.

Piotr is Emilia's adoptive uncle, an entrepreneurial man who operates within the wartime economy through black-market activities. His profit-seeking instincts provide vital resources and false documentation for his family. He possesses a complex moral code, balancing his genuine affection for his family with his questionable business deals.

Matylda is Sara's superior at the Warsaw Department of Social Welfare. Small in stature but carrying immense moral authority, she prioritizes the mission of her underground network over individual safety. She maintains meticulous records of the people moved through their operations.

Chaim works alongside Roman at the bootstrap factory in the ghetto. Despite the impossible circumstances of their confinement, he gathers critical information from the underground and persistently extends his friendship to Roman. He views their situation with clarity and prepares accordingly.

Samuel is Roman's stepfather, a man defined by his steadfast optimism. He provides for his family by bartering resources like soap and holds onto the desperate belief that the occupying forces will honor their promises regarding labor camps. His gentle nature provides a contrast to the brutal reality of their circumstances.

Maja is Roman's mother, serving as the emotional heart of the Gorka household. Facing severe starvation, she struggles to produce enough milk for her infant daughter. She balances her husband's persistent optimism with a quiet, necessary realism about the dangers surrounding them.

Dawidek is Roman's nine-year-old brother. Despite his young age, he works under the supervision of Jewish Police officers collecting bodies from the streets, maintaining a practical acceptance of his grim reality.

Eleonora is Roman's infant half-sister. Born into the severe deprivation of the ghetto, her rapidly deteriorating health becomes a central concern that drives the entire family's decisions.

Andrzej coordinates operations at a local youth center on Miła Street. He manages an officially sanctioned soup kitchen that secretly functions as a vital hub for information and supplies.