The January in Skierniewice’s Shed was mostly spent on preparations to movie shots. Before we heard the first “Camera! Action!” we had to put aside our typical duties – after all preparing a movie location is a prestigious (and profitable) task. Therefore our shunting engines underwent the extra check-up and the box cars thoroughly lubricated. After all it’s not the first time they take part in a film. Eventually we only had to wait for the “Wołyń” film crew… and for winter.

At last, the first teams of the Wojciech Smarzowski’s crew appeared in the Shed. Their task – make part of the shed resemble a 1940’ station somewhere in Volhynia. After a week of work, the location was ready to shot the key scenes of the main characters deportation to Siberia. The biggest concern was the snowless weather which forced the film crew to create its own snow by means of snow cannons and special deliveries from the local ice rink.

The shots were taken on 7^th and 8^th February, during the day (scenes of deportees boarding the train) and at night (scene of buying out the main character form the transport). Several Polish and Ukrainian actors took part in the scenes as well as nearly 150 extras – mostly to play the roles of deported Poles.

A part of this group had a “less glorious” role of the NKVD and Red Army’s soldiers.

Extras were mostly the residents of Skierniewice, yet there were a couple of people who traveled a longer distance to experience how it really is to play in a movie.

Most of the days were spent on scenes rehearsal and shooting some of the daylight scenes…

But most of the scenes were filmed after dark. The movie shooting ended on Monday morning at 4 o’clock.

The movie is produced by Dom Produkcyjny Film It, the screenplay, written by Wojciech Smarzowski, is based on short stories by Stanisław Srokowski. Cinematography is done by Piotr Sobociński Jr. The movie will be a screen debut of Michalina Łabacz. The premiere is planned on the second half of 2016.