Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the ‘Forst’ series by Remigiusz Mróz, Netflix’s ‘Detective Forst’ is a Polish crime drama series that centers around a cynical yet effective detective named Wiktor Forst, who patrols the area of the Tatra Mountains. Soon, his maverick way of solving cases gets questioned and subsequently, gets him suspended. When a series of brutal and gruesome murders haunt the mountains, Forst, despite being suspended, joins forces with journalist Olga Szrebska to investigate the crimes and get to the bottom of them.
Originally titled ‘Forst,’ the detective show features compelling performances from some talented Polish actors, such as Borys Szyc, Andrzej Bienias, Zuzanna Saporznikow, Kamilla Baar, Aleksandra Grabowska, and Szymon Wróblewski. The unsettling visuals of the crime scenes against the white backdrop of the snow in the Tatra Mountains keep one guessing if ‘Detective Forst’ is shot on location or not.
Where is Detective Forst Filmed?
‘Detective Forst’ is filmed primarily in Poland, especially in Zakopane, Warsaw, and Nowy Targ. Besides that, Slovakia also hosts the production of the crime series. According to reports, principal photography for the inaugural iteration got underway in October 2022 and wrapped up after five months or so, in March 2023.
Zakopane, Poland
To shoot most of the pivotal sequences for ‘Detective Forst,’ the production team sets up camp in the town of Zakopane, which lies at the foot of the Tatra Mountains in the southern area of Poland’s Podhale region. In particular, the filming unit utilized the areas around the Bąkowo Zohylina Wyżnio at Józefa Piłsudskiego 28A in Zakopane and the picturesque Hala Gąsienicowa for the debut season. Apart from the constant appearance of the mountains in the backdrop, some monuments and places of interest make their cameos every once in a while as well, such as Krupówki Street, which consists of various kinds of stores, carnival rides, performers, and restaurants.
Other Locations in Poland
For the purpose of shooting, the cast and crew members of ‘Detective Forst’ also travel to other locations in Poland. Warsaw, which is officially known as the Capital City of Warsaw, is one of the Polish sites that turned into a production location during the shooting schedule of season 1. Several key scenes are also recorded in the town of Nowy Targ. Situated at the foot of the Gorce Mountains in the Orava-Nowy Targ Basin, Nowy Targ is another one of the coldest areas, along with Zakopane, in Poland.
Slovakia
Additional portions of ‘Detective Forst’ are also taped in the landlocked country of Slovakia. Officially known as the Slovak Republic, the country consists of mostly mountainous territory, which matches the overall hilly visuals of the majority of the show. Slovakia has served as a production location for several movies and TV shows over the years, including ‘Spoor,’ ‘Crazy Six,’ ‘The Line,’ ‘The Wrecking Crew,’ and ‘Einstein.’
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