Olena is Benkowska’s diploma film for the Gdynia Film School and the first short feature production made in Poland to compete at IFF in Cannes for Short Film Palme d’Or. It is the sole CEE film from the nine films in competition and was chosen out of 3,500 submissions from 132 countries.

The 14 -minute film follows two Ukrainins, Olena and Dima, who are travelling through Poland to Sweden. Dima's wallet is stolen on a train and his passport is thrown out on the tracks. As the couple searches for the document the real reason for their trip is revealed.

Olena is the second film from the first class of graduates of the Gdynia Film School to be recognized by international festival selectors. In March 2013 the short feature production Mother directed by  Łukasz Ostalski won the audience award at the 43. International Short Film Competition in Tampere.