'Forgotten Love' - A Love Story That Moves Us for Almost 100 Years

If we were to choose the most universal topic among our viewers, which affects everyone without exception, we would probably choose love. You can't go through life without loving. Or at least - it's not worth it. The characters in the legendary Polish novel by Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz know this, and Netflix viewers will soon find out when they watch Forgotten Love, directed by Michał Gazda.

A story about the perversity of fate For Polish viewers, Forgotten Love (book The Quack) is a cult title that has inspired filmmakers for over 80 years. It tells the story of professor of surgery Rafał Wilczur (played by Leszek Lichota), who loses his family, memory, identity, and fortune. He wanders from village to village for years, taking up simple jobs. Under the name of Antoni Kosiba, the protagonist helps people struggling with various diseases and illnesses. Although quackery, i.e., illegal medical practices, was already banned in Poland in the 1930s, Kosiba uses his outstanding skills with courage and humility to relieve the suffering of others. And it is probably his inner strength, honesty, and integrity that turn his fortunes around for the first time. Antoni Kosiba goes to a village where, thanks to coincidence (or perhaps fate?), his daughter Marysia (Maria Kowalska) also stays. The girl also doesn't remember her father, but that doesn't stop their meeting from changing their lives. Successive sets of circumstances and the noble attitude of the main characters lead along a bumpy path to a happy, touching ending.

Forgotten love Michał Gazda's Forgotten Love takes viewers to an idyllic village and allows them to relax. Tomasz Augustynek's sunny photos show the beauty of nature and the charm of Polish summer, and Paweł Lucewicz's music introduces you to the colorful world of emotions and feelings. Over 2,300 people worked on the production of the film. Approximately 1,700 extras took part in the filming during all seasons. At every step, the viewer can admire the work of set designers and make-up artists who faithfully recreated the Polish city and countryside atmosphere from the 20th century. A team of costume designers, led by Małgorzata Zacharska, sewed and imported authentic period costumes from warehouses in London, Madrid, and the Czech Republic to most faithfully reflect the realities of the Polish city and countryside of the 1930s.

In such a setting, the viewer follows the characters guided by a destiny stronger than all adversities. This melodramatic film tells the story that love is worth fighting for, both romantic and between family members. It restores hope that truth and sacrifice will win, and those who are supposed to find each other will find each other. Our "Forgotten Love" tells about love in its various incarnations. In the first place - faithfully to Dołęga-Mostowicz - we put the love between father and daughter reclaimed from fate. This is, both dramatically and emotionally, the most important. In our "tandem" narrative, Marysia gained a role equal to Wilczur. Thanks to this, this parental love becomes more complete, gains credibility, and - I hope - arouses stronger emotions - says director Michał Gazda.

The power of timelessness The creators undoubtedly took a bold step by deciding on a film adaptation of an iconic work rooted in Polish culture. Thanks to the idea of producer Magdalena Szwedkowicz and the artistic strength of director Michał Gazda, a film was created that shows a fresh look at this well-known story. Based on the novel by Dołęga-Mostowicz and at the same time enriched with a contemporary twist, it can connect viewers from different generations. The universal message and values make Forgotten Love’s story never get old. Ultimately, an uplifting, hopeful story about the steadfastness of the human spirit in the face of adversity is appropriate for any time. In addition to Leszek Lichota and Maria Kowalska, the film stars Ignacy Liss as Count Czyński and Anna Szymańczyk as Zośka. Additionally, the film features, among others, Mirosław Haniszewski, Łukasz Szczepanowski, Izabela Kuna, Mikołaj Grabowski, Paweł Tomaszewski, Małgorzata Mikołajczak, Artur Barciś and others. The script's authors are Marcin Baczyński and Mariusz Kuczewski, and Tomasz Augustynek is responsible for the cinematography. The film's producer is Magdalena Szwedkowicz.