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Ida

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Overview

From acclaimed director Pawel Pawlikowski (Last Resort, My Summer of Love) comes Ida, a moving and intimate drama about a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland who, on the verge of taking her vows, makes a shocking discovery about her past. 18-year old Anna (stunning newcomer Agata Trzebuchowska), a sheltered orphan raised in a convent, is preparing to become a nun when the Mother Superior insists she first visit her sole living relative. Naïve, innocent Anna soon finds herself in the presence of her aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza), a worldly and cynical Communist Party insider, who shocks her with the declaration that her real name is Ida and her Jewish parents were murdered during the Nazi occupation. This revelation triggers a heart-wrenching journey into the countryside, to the family house and into the secrets of the repressed past, evoking the haunting legacy of the Holocaust and the realities of postwar Communism. In this beautifully directed film, Pawlikowski returns to his native Poland for the first time in his career to confront some of the more contentious issues in the history of his birthplace. Powerfully written and eloquently shot, Ida a masterly evocation of a time, a dilemma, and a defining historical moment; Ida is also personal, intimate, and human. The weight of history is everywhere, but the scale falls within the scope of a young woman learning about the secrets of her own past. This intersection of the personal with momentous historic events makes for what is surely one of the most powerful and affecting films of the year.

Reactions, Awards & Festivals

Critics' Pick! "One of the finest European films in recent memory."

A.O. Scott

The New York Times

"A film of exceptional artistry whose emotions are as potent and persuasive as its images are indelibly beautiful."

Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

"One of the best films of the year. Not to be missed."

George Robinson

The Jewish Week

"A new Polish masterpiece."

David Thomson

New Republic

"Bracing, beautifully wrought, and provocative."

J. Hoberman

Tablet

"It haunted me. I can't wait to see it again."

A.O. Scott

The New York Times

"A compact gem of perfection. A total marvel."

Dana Stevens

Slate

"Absolutely stunning, one of the year's best films”

Oliver Lyttleton

The Playlist

“Exquisite.”

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

“Riveting. Sublime."

Karin Badt

Huffington Post

“Richly sympathetic and deeply moving! First-timer Agata Trzebuchowska is quietly compelling.”

Tom Huddleston

Time Out

Winner! Academy Awards 2015 - Best Foreign Language Film

César Awards 2015 - Best Foreign Language Film Nominee

Winner! BAFTA Awards 2015 - Best Film Not in the English Language

Winner! Los Angeles Film Critics Awards 2014: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Supporting Actress (Agata Kulesza)

Winner! New York Film Critics Circle 2014: Best Foreign Language Film

Winner! European Film Awards 2014 - Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer, EFA’s People’s Choice Award

Winner! Toronto International Film Festival 2013 - International Critics Award, Pawel Pawlikowski

Winner! London Film Festival 2013 - Best Film

Winner! Warsaw Film Festival 2013 - Grand Prix

Winner! Polish Film Awards 2014 - Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Agata Kulesza), and Best Editing

Winner! Cinequest Film Festival 2014 - Best Narrative Feature: Drama

Winner! American Society of Cinematographers 2013 - Spotlight Award

Winner! Camerimage Cinematography Awards - Golden Frog

Film Independent Spirit Awards 2014 - Best International Film Nominee

International Press Academy Satellite Awards - Best Motion Picture, International Film Nominee

Sundance Film Festival 2014 - Official Selection

Telluride Film Festival 2-14 - Official Selection

Golden Globe Awards 2015 - Best Foreign Language Film Nominee

Cast & Crew
  • Wanda : Agata Kulesza
  • Ida/Anna : Agata Trzebuchowska
  • Lis : Dawid Ogrodnik
  • Szymon : Jerzy Trela
  • Feliks : Adam Szyszkowski
  • Mother Superior : Halina Skoczynska
  • Singer : Joanna Kulig
  • Kaska : Dorota Kuduk
  • Bronia : Natalia Lagiewczyk
  • Marysia : Afrodyta Weselak
  • Director : Pawel Pawlikowski
  • Screenplay : Pawel Pawlikowski & Rebecca Lenkiewicz 
  • Directors of Photography : Lukasz Zal & Ryszard Lenczewski
  • Producers : Eric Abraham, Piotr Dzieciot, Ewa Puszcynska
  • Production Design : Katarzyna Sobanska & Marcel Stawinski
Technical Info
  • Production Year : 2013
  • Release Date : May 2, 2014
  • Countries of Production : Poland
  • Languages : Polish
  • Running Time : 80 Minutes
  • Screen Ratio : 1.37:1
  • Sound : Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Color : B&W
  • Rating : PG-13 Thematic Elements including Some Sexuality and Smoking
Theatrical Engagements
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