269:), and Esther's daughter, Sarah Blumenfeld (Sydney Barrosse), have become successful professional women, but each still deals with the memories of the Holocaust via strained relationships with their respective mothers. Esther dies but has left a memoir of her experiences in the camp with her daughter, Sarah. Apollonia (
273:) is confined to a nursing home and, though Maria tries her best to care or her, she and her mother are at constant odds. A secret that Apollonia has been hiding comes to light, and the uncovering of this secret causes Apollonia and Maria to resolve their differences and brings Maria and Sarah into each other's lives.
515:
and reflecting the memories of wartime Poland, it was filmed with an
American cast and set in a contemporary American city. It was offered that the film had a compelling plot line, but its strength was in how it dealt with the relationships of its female characters. They summarize, "A bond between
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wrote "Forgiveness is like a complex jigsaw puzzle or murder mystery in which apparently disconnected pieces fall into place only gradually. For those looking for a movie dominated by strong, independent women, this is the one to see."
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and West
Hollywood International Film Festival, Kotowski re-edited the film to feature a more central emphasis on the film's Holocaust story. The film was then re-titled
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and re-released, having its premiere at the New Hope Film
Festival on June 26, 2010, and screenings at festivals such as River Bend Film Festival in
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The film's story is told through a series of narratives from a fictional memoir of the period, illustrated with archival footage provided by the
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262:. When the war ended, both girls separately emigrated to the United States with their families. They remained separated thereafter.
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child Esther
Blumenfeld, were childhood best friends in 1940's Poland. The two girls were separated when Esther was taken away to a
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on DVD in
September 2010; the film is currently being sold direct via Bright Shining City Productions' official website.
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contrasted the film against others at the Polish Film
Festival by noting that, even though directed and written by a
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in August 2007, with the director having to deal with seasonal rains and the illness of one of the lead actresses.
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on April 26, 2008. After screening at film festivals through 2008 and 2009, including the
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two adult, self-confident women has rarely been portrayed as effectively."
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Best
Narrative Feature - Great Lakes International Film Festival (2010)
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Relix Award - Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film
Festival (2010)
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Years later, Apollonia's daughter, Maria
Patterson (
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at 2008 West Hollywood International Film Festival"
678:"Polish drama explores Jewish-Catholic relations".
235:. The film is marked as being the director's first
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952:"LA's Polish Film Festival reveals Jewish themes"
298:Jamie Goodwin as Jeff Patterson, Maria's husband
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866:WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival
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1018:Films about the aftermath of the Holocaust
922:"May 2010 Deadline Award of Merit Winners"
705:West Hollywood International Film Festival
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741:. newhopefilmfestival.com. Archived from
707:. westhollywood.bside.com. Archived from
301:Wilbur Penn as Clayton, Maria's co-worker
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648:"Kotowski seeks 'Forgiveness' in Austin"
775:. riverbendfilmfest.org. Archived from
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482:The Indie Fest - Award of Merit (2010)
398:The film premiered at the Ninth Annual
356:, additional archive material from the
807:Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival
1023:American films based on actual events
809:. bayoucity.bside.com. Archived from
769:at the 2010 River Bend Film Festival"
7:
862:"WorldFest Winners' Lists 1979-2010"
685:. jewishjournal.com. April 24, 2008.
457:Silver Remi Award - WorldFest (2009)
1063:Films about Polish-American culture
295:Sydney Barrosse as Sarah Blumenfeld
928:. theindiefest.com. Archived from
898:. empixxawards.org. Archived from
646:O'Connell, Joe (August 10, 2007).
451:Inspirational Film Festival (2008)
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325:Kathryn Olsen as Young Apollonia
926:The Indie virtual film festival
868:. worldfest.org. Archived from
623:. polanegri.com. Archived from
460:EMPixx Awards - Platinum (2009)
424:Bright Shining City Productions
346:Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
307:Christina Childress as Jennifer
251:child Apollonia Kowalski and a
142:Bright Shining City Productions
479:EMPixx Award - Platinum (2010)
322:Krystal Morton as Young Esther
304:Dell Aldrich as Esther (voice)
1:
1048:2000s English-language films
1043:Films about Jews and Judaism
485:Telly Awards - Bronze (2010)
454:Telly Awards - Silver (2008)
960:. jpost.com. April 30, 2008
892:"2009 Empixx Award Winners"
358:Jewish Historical Institute
328:Steve Uzzell as Dean Denson
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836:"29th Annual Telly Awards"
735:at New Hope Film festival"
310:Jon Davis as Roger (voice)
447:Third Place Jury Award -
408:Los Angeles Film Festival
360:, and photographs of the
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773:River Bend Film Festival
386:was shot on location in
219:written and directed by
156:April 26, 2008
526:List of Holocaust films
404:Los Angeles, California
1033:Films set in the 2000s
1028:Films set in the 1940s
739:New Hope Film festival
581:"Mariusz Kotowski bio"
319:Sean Elliot as Matthew
656:. austinchronicle.com
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316:Chris Doubeck as Paul
292:as Apollonia Kowalski
129:Federico Chavez-Blanc
1058:2000s American films
1053:American drama films
586:Polish Film Festival
558:Polish Film Festival
400:Polish Film Festival
313:Greg Dorchak as Pete
284:Shelley Calene-Black
267:Shelley Calene-Black
92:Shelley Calene-Black
1038:Films set in Poland
872:on 25 February 2007
422:production company
416:South Bend, Indiana
237:feature-length film
589:. polishfilmla.org
561:. polishfilmla.org
420:Mariusz Kotowski's
362:concentration camp
286:as Maria Patterson
260:concentration camp
16:2008 American film
842:. tellyawards.com
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962:. Retrieved
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840:Telly Awards
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815:. Retrieved
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172:Running time
149:Release date
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993:Forgiveness
801:Forgiveness
699:Forgiveness
551:Forgiveness
441:Forgiveness
418:. Director
384:Forgiveness
200:Forgiveness
102:Wilbur Penn
70:Produced by
42:Directed by
22:Forgiveness
1013:2008 films
1007:Categories
535:References
449:Bayou City
373:short film
340:Background
233:Allan Knee
229:screenplay
176:84 minutes
160:2008-04-26
135:Production
56:Allan Knee
621:Polanegri
613:"review,
513:filmmaker
490:Reception
426:released
364:ruins by
227:, with a
223:director
118:Edited by
520:See also
350:Oświęcim
214:dramatic
211:American
189:Language
126:Music by
80:Starring
62:Story by
964:18 July
936:18 July
906:18 July
876:18 July
846:18 July
817:18 July
783:18 July
749:18 July
715:18 July
660:18 July
631:18 July
593:18 July
565:18 July
394:Release
192:English
181:Country
158: (
137:company
510:Polish
434:Awards
370:French
354:Poland
253:Jewish
998:IMDb
966:2010
938:2010
908:2010
878:2010
848:2010
819:2010
785:2010
751:2010
717:2010
662:2010
633:2010
595:2010
567:2010
257:Nazi
243:Plot
996:at
465:As
439:As
402:of
231:by
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