The Physician

German director Philipp Stölzl adapted the novel by Noah Gordon for the screen which is about the arrival of medicine in Europe during the Dark Ages in this captivating epic. A young orphan who loses his mother at childbirth and separated from his siblings attach himself to a traveling barber. Through his travels he discovers the science of medicine from Jewish barbers who learned it in Persia. Disguised as a Jew he travels to Isphahan to learn from the great master Ibn Sina. There he explores the science beyond the teachings while falling in love with a married woman which endangers his life and those around him. Stölzl tells a story never told or seen on screen which makes for a terrific experience that also informs. Tom Payne stars with a solid performance along a stellar supporting cast that includes Ben Kingsley, Stellan Skarsgård, Olivier Martinez and Emma Rigby. 1001 Films' coverage of the 67th Festival de Cannes.