Professor Wilczur

Production and year: Poland, 1938 Director: Michał Waszyński Screenplay: Anatol Stern Cast: Kazimierz Junosza-Stępowski, Elżbieta Barszczewska, Jacek Woszczerowicz Medical theme: medical ethics Description: A sequel to the first film adaptation of "Znachor," shot in 1937 based on the novel by Dołęga-Mostowicz. After regaining his memory, Professor Wilczur returns to his practice in Warsaw. He becomes the head of the department, president of the Medical Association, and takes up a professorship at the university. However, he faces clear envy from his former deputy and his supporters. Wilczur’s opponents exploit a medical error (leaving Pean’s forceps inside the patient’s body during an appendectomy!) to destroy the professor’s career and reputation and strip him of his entire fortune. The experienced doctor thus returns to the countryside, where he had previously helped people as a folk healer. Soon, however, he will be called upon once again to perform a “deadly” difficult operation. “A man’s destiny is his work, the constant pursuit of perfection”—this is the film’s motto. It presents many moral dilemmas faced by a doctor who prioritizes the patient’s well-being and regards human life as the highest value. Like the 1937 film *The Quack* and the 1939 film *Professor Wilczur’s Testament*, which together form a trilogy of pre-war Polish cinema exploring the ethos of medical ethics.