The title is not very appealing. By taking the title of the French version of the book by Georgia Hunter from which it is inspired, the series “On the Wings of Chance” available on Disney + has chosen ease in the absence of clarity. We prefer the original English title “We Were The Lucky Ones” which encompasses all the ambiguity of the destiny of its heroes.
These are the Kurcs, a family of Polish Jews. In 1938, parents Nechuma and Sol had the joy of celebrating Passover with their entire family at their home in Radom, south of Warsaw: their two daughters Mila and Halina as well as their three sons, Genek, Jakob and Addy. The latter traveled to visit for the occasion from Paris where he is a pianist. The joy of this entire meeting will be short-lived, since the following year, the shadow of war will appear on the table.
Very quickly, the members of the clan will be separated and each will fight on their own to survive while constantly having in mind the future of their loved ones. Prisoners in Siberia, resistance fighters in Poland, imprisoned in Casablanca, sent to Italy, isolated in Brazil… The Kurcs’ journey spans four continents and almost a decade over eight parts.
Protagonists between victims and heroes
Obviously, the horrors of Hitler’s regime are stomach-churning, including some torture sequences. But it is also about showing trivialized anti-Semitism and acts of violence committed by many people outside the Nazi party but disinhibited by the climate of hatred. Furthermore, there is no question of relegating the protagonists to the simple rank of victims. Everyone, in their own way, is mobilizing to speak out against the fate reserved for them.
The incomprehension, the worry, the suffering, the false hopes, the fear, the questioning of their faith, the revolt, the determination, the resistance. Every reaction and feeling is magnified by the tangibility of the characters. It’s almost the uncertainty that wreaks the most havoc: not knowing what tomorrow will bring, being without news from loved ones, the deafening silence of the lack of response to the dozens of letters sent everywhere.
A moving story
Formidably produced and directed, this high-level series also benefits from a great gallery of actors. We find in particular Joey King (“The Act”, “The Kissing Booth”), Logan Lerman (“Percy Jackson”, “The Wallflower”), Robin Weigert (“Deadwood”, “Big Little Lies”), Sam Woolf (“The Witcher”, “The Crown”) or Amit Rahav (“Unorthodox”).
The title of the fiction, inspired by the story of author Georgia Hunter’s own family, refers to the survivors. Lucky “. But what luck are we talking about when we witness the hell they went through, the physical and psychological injuries, the stolen innocence of those who were only children at the time? It is also about the guilt of these miracle workers who cannot help but ask themselves “Why me rather than someone else?” “.
“On the Wings of Luck” is a poignant, heartbreaking, overwhelming, obviously trying series. Yet it’s the hope and touches of light that keep it going, with absolutely magnificent scenes here and there. Until a cry-worthy finale.
Editor’s note:
« On the wings of luck »,
American series by Érica Lipez (2024) with Joey King, Logan Lerman, Amit Rahav… Eight episodes of 52 to 74 minutes each.