In Desert and Wilderness () is a 2001 Polish film directed by Gavin Hood. Adapted from the 1911 novel In Desert and Wilderness by Henryk Sienkiewicz, it tells the story of two children, Staś Tarkowski and Nel Rawlison, kidnapped by the rebels during Mahdi's rebellion in Sudan. Filming took three months. It was filmed in South Africa and Tunisia. The original director fell ill at the very beginning of filming and his role was taken by Hood. A miniseries version of the film was later broadcast in 2002. Its content differed from the book and the film was said to be more modern, notably in its depiction of intercultural relationships. The film enjoyed considerable success. Cast as Nel Rawlison Adam Fidusiewicz as Staś Tarkowski Artur Żmijewski as Władysław Tarkowski (Staś's father) Andrzej Strzelecki as George Rawlinson (Nel's father) Mzwandile Ngubeni as Kali Lungile Shongwe as Mea as Chamis Lotfi Dziri as Gebhr Ahmed Hafiane as Idrys Krzysztof Kowalewski as Kalioupoli Krzysztof Kolberger as Linde as Madame Olivier Hichem Rostom as Mahdi Reception It was the second most popular Polish film of the year behind Quo Vadis with 2.2 million admissions. References External links 2000s Polish-language films 2001 films Films based on Polish novels Films based on works by Henryk Sienkiewicz Films directed by Gavin Hood Films set in the 1880s Films set in deserts Films set in Sudan