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The Designated

A short feature-documentary film about the beginnings of the Polish women's police in the interwar period. The plot of the film recalls one of the spectacularly successful operations of female police officers in Warsaw's Praga district. A little girl, the daughter of an American Consul, was kidnapped in the park and has to be found at all costs....

Film based on a true story.

  • Adrian Tarnowski
    Director
  • Adrian Tarnowski
    Writer
  • Mateusz Zagojski
    Writer
  • Krystyna Sobańska-Stępień
    Writer
  • Adrian Tarnowski
    Producer
  • Mateusz Zagojski
    Producer
  • Emilia Marzec
    Key Cast
    "Policewoman #1"
  • Jagoda Kwapień
    Key Cast
    "Betty"
  • Magdalena Kotowska
    Production Manager
  • Julia Skwarek
    Characterisation
  • Maja Boczek
    Scenography
  • Adrian Tarnowski
    Camera Operator
  • Kamil Łysiak
    Camera Operator
  • Magdalena Kotowska
    Camera Operator
  • Adrian Tarnowski
    Film editing
  • Kamil Łysiak
    Film editing
  • Magdalena Kotowska
    Film editing
  • Karol Barczak
    Sound on set
  • Mariusz Sanok
    Music
  • Adrian Tarnowski
    Audio editing
  • Kamil Łysiak
    Audio editing
  • Anna Borowska
    Film consultation
  • Andrzej Strzempioł
    Fotos
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Wybrane
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 28 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 8, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    7,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Poland
  • Country of Filming:
    Poland
  • Language:
    Polish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • A pre-release screening of the film at the “Kino Bajka”
    Lublin
    Poland
    December 14, 2024
  • Premiere
    Lublin
    Poland
    March 8, 2025
Distribution Information
  • YouTube
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Internet, Pay Per View
Director Biography - Adrian Tarnowski

From an early school age, I participated in television and film projects, which initiated a fascination with cinematography. This passion also found its outlet in photography, to which I devoted many years of study and practice, graduating from the Service and Business Technical School in Lublin as a Photography and Multimedia Technician.

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Director Statement

The goal of my project is to create a film that will introduce the beginnings of women's service in the State Police of the Second Republic and allow viewers to immerse themselves in the realities of this remarkable formation. Through the film's story, I want to show how high demands were placed on young women wishing to join the service, as well as the tremendous effort put into their training. These efforts meant that the Women's Police of the Second Republic won recognition not only in Poland, but also in the police world on both continents.

The film tells the story of one of the actions of Polish policewomen who, in the summer of 1935, found the kidnapped daughter of the American consul. This successful intervention resonated both in Poland and abroad, becoming an example of the professionalism and effectiveness of women serving in the National Police.

Deciding to present this particular episode, I wanted to draw attention to the injustice that befell the Women's Police formation in the post-war years. The communist authorities completely erased their achievements and history from the national memory. It was not until the late 1990s that the Women's Police of the Second Republic and its indomitable commissioner, Stanislava Filipina Paleolog, began to be talked about anew.

I hope that my film will contribute to restoring the memory of these remarkable women and their service, inspiring viewers to reflect more deeply on history and the role of women in building the structures of the modern state.