Ida

film by Pawlikowski [2013]

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July 21, 2026

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Ida (2013) is a Polish-born British film directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. The film is set in Poland in 1962 and follows Anna, a young woman preparing to become a Catholic nun. Before taking her vows, she learns she is Jewish and that her birth name is Ida. She embarks on a journey with her aunt Wanda, her only living relative, to uncover the truth about her parents' deaths during the Nazi occupation of Poland.1

The film, shot in black and white, was the first Polish film to win an Academy Award for best foreign-language film in 2015. It also received the BAFTA Award for best film not in the English language. Pawlikowski's family history, including his grandmother's death at Auschwitz, influenced the film's themes.1

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Pawel Pawlikowski
…whose acclaimed works notably included Ida (2013), which won an Academy Award for best foreign-language film.
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…whose acclaimed works notably included Ida (2013), which won an Academy Award for best foreign-language film.
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History of film
Eastern Europe and Russia
…also helmed the Polish movies Ida (2013), which won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film, and Zimna wojna (2018; Cold War).
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…also helmed the Polish movies Ida (2013), which won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film, and Zimna wojna (2018; Cold War).
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