Michal Gazda creates beautiful characters and weaves in engaging narrative, while reaffirming one’s faith in humanity, in the film Forgotten Love

Mona

Advertisement

A heartfelt story that makes one believe in good all over again, Netflix’ new Polish film, Forgotten Love, has won over viewers and how!

The film opens with a heart-warming scene — a dedicated surgeon is in a procedure that seems rather tough. His cute little assistant is helping with all her might in fixing the heart of her doll! A doting father, Professor Wilczur is a pioneering neurosurgeon with a tender heart. The day of his biggest professional high, as he’s appointed the chief surgeon of a thriving clinic, is the day his wife, who is in love with another man, leaves him along with their daughter.

Misfortune continues and a mugging incident costs him his memory that evening. The scene moves on 15 years, where he is leading a vagrant’s life. He takes a new identity as Antoni Kosiba and starts life as a healer in a small town. Fear of being charged of quackery might put him behind the bars, but would this good-hearted Samaritan, who doesn’t remember a thing, ever stop helping?

Set at the cusp of change — times when horse carts and motor cars are both in, doctors and quack both wanted — it is a beautiful story with a father-daughter bond at its heart. Based on a book Znachor (The Quack) by Tadeusz Dolega-Mostowicz, the film packs in too many themes — feminism, class divide, changing orders. It’s also full on clichés — a count falling in love with a waitress, who in turn happens to be a rich man’s daughter; a miller’s dominant wife; a married woman chasing her lover to the world’s end; an innocent childhood friendship!

But in the deft hands of Michal Gazda, all threads come together and weave an enchanting tale. The film, available in English, gives a glimpse into heartening Polish culture, beautiful landscapes; their small-town life, the dresses, food, dance and more.

Cinematographer Tomasz Augustynek captures the city and rural life superbly well, making the sights, sounds and smells come alive on the screen. Music by Pawel Lucewicz is impressive — now uplifting, now haunting — even if one doesn’t understand Polish, the melody can be felt.

Amazing performance by the lead cast lends a haunting feeling to the whole narrative. Leszek Lichotaas as Professor Wilczur/Antoni Kosiba is superb. His love for the daughter, regret of his wife being unhappy in their bond, his selfless devotion to his patients, he is enthralling. Maria Kowalska as Marysia is a sharp-witted, inventive orphan not compromising on her dreams plays her part well. Ignacy Liss as lovelorn Count Czynski; Anna Szymanczyk as feisty Zoska and Zaneta Homa as young, bashful Ruta, Forgotten Love is full of lovable characters. Credit to the writers for weaving so many characters and themes in the narrative! This two hours 20 minutes film unfolds like a fable and reaffirms faith in humanity!