Directed by: Pawel Pawlikowski
Staring: Agata Trzebuchowska and Agata Kulesza
This eerily beautiful black and white film pulls off the remarkable trick of looking as if it was made when it was set – the early 60s. It feels more like a restored and rediscovered classic than a new film. 17 year old Anna (Trzebuchowska) is about to take her final vows in a convent, when her aunt Wanda (Kulesza) proposes they go on a road trip. A journey into the heart of Poland’s church and state follows, with questions about Ida’s Jewish parents, about collaborators, and those who helped Jews in the war. Ida is a compelling film. The performances are superb and the sense of location and period miraculous.
A masterpiece.