Karolina vel Miss Kebab is a Polish girl who recently arrived in England and started working at a high school in a rough area of Leeds. She struggles to adapt, as her experience as a teacher in Poland has not prepared her for the challenges she faces – poverty, parental neglect, drug and alcohol use, and exploitation. She has a hard time connecting to her students, who got ‘lumped’ with her as they are all considered hopeless cases – aggressive, defiant, and riddled with personal and psychological issues.

When the Ofsted visit is announced, the principal (Chicken) assigns Miss Kebab and her class the task of preparing a Christmas play – seemingly to give her a chance of proving herself, but really to keep the most troublesome students out of Ofsted’s way. As the class starts to work together, the students and Miss Kebab start to form a bond and she discovers what really lies behind the kids’ challenging behavior – Vaneska grows up watching her mother earn a living from prostitution and struggles with her feelings for tomboy Gileta, Liam looks after his mum who is addicted to drugs, pregnant Katie struggles to accept motherhood.

Then a new student (Rosa) arrives, and Miss Kebab can’t shake the feeling something is really wrong. Rosa is withdrawn and seems scared, strange men turn up to pick her up after school, and a sinister uncle keeps looming in the background.

Miss Kebab embarks on a mission to investigate the situation but is faced with dismissal, ridicule, or indifference. She decides to follow her hunch and notifies Social Services. On the day of the Christmas show, Rosa does not show up. Miss Kebab goes to her house, only to find it empty – the family disappeared at night. The class is not allowed to perform and is instead sent away on a trip to a Theme Park. Miss Kebab, still reeling from Rosa’s disappearance, confronts Chicken and is threatened with dismissal. The class arrives at a Theme Park which turns out to be closed, and children wander around the deserted space in a half-dreamy state. The class decides to still perform their play after school for the benefit of the parents. Hardly anybody turns up, but everybody has found some sort of inner peace – Katie and Liam are now caring together for Katie’s baby, Vaneska accepts Gileta’s rejection and is able to form a friendship with her, and Miss Kebab is comforted in knowing that even though she wasn’t able to help Rosa, she has taken a stand in the face of injustice.

English teacher, interpreter, and writer. Grew up in Kozy in the south of Poland, since 2008 living and working in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Worked as a teacher, Public Service Interpreter, and translator for the Police, Social Services, and the Ministry of Justice. Received two Chartered Institute of Linguistics awards. Her debut novel ‘Miss Kebab’ was published in Poland in 2018. Currently works as a Specialist Study Skills Tutor, providing support for University students with Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.

Director, producer, screenwriter
Natalia Koryncka-Gruz has a degree in Polish Philology from Warsaw University and Film Directing from the Film School in Łódz.
For her graduation film, „1-1“ received 18 awards at international film festivals, including the Grand Prix Bilbao, 5 Prizes Oberhausen, Special Award- Turin, and many others.
She is an author of many documentaries, including „A Short Film About Krzysztof Kieślowski“, „Zbig“ about Zbigniew Rybczyński, and TV plays (i.a. „Inka 1946“, „The Little Prince“, „Game of lies“, „Thieves of Bread“).
For her feature film „Amok“ she received the Best Debut Award at the Film Festival in Gdynia. „Amok“ was screened in the competition film festival in Karlove Vary.
For the feature „Heaven-Hell“ was awarded by the Programming Council of TVP at Film Festival in Gdynia and in Houston Film Festival. In competition Monte Carlo FF.
Her feature „Warsaw by Night“ was shown at many international film festivals, was awarded for best music score at Polish FF Los Angeles.
„A Minor Genocide“ – a documentary-animation film had a world premiere at Kraków Film Festival, an international premiere at Triest Film Festival was awarded Silver Prize at New York Film and Tv Film Festival, Accolade Global Film Festival, and Calcutta Film Festival.