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.
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
