The 'Don't Shoot! I'm Polish!' meme originates from the 2002 biographical war drama 'The Pianist,' directed by Roman Polanski. In the scene, the protagonist Władysław Szpilman, played by Adrien Brody, emerges from hiding wearing a German coat for warmth, leading Polish soldiers to mistake him for an enemy combatant. As they open fire, he desperately screams his nationality to save his life. Online, this template is widely used to represent situations involving 'friendly fire,' social misunderstandings, or when someone is being criticized by a group they actually belong to. It perfectly captures the frantic energy of trying to prove your innocence to your own allies.