Cinequest 2014

Directed and co-written by Pawel Pawlikowski, Ida (2013) is about the aftermath of the holocaust. Set in Poland in the 1960s, Wanda (Agata Kulesza) is a Jew who stayed after liberation and earned the nickname “Red Wanda” as a feared prosecutor in the new communist regime. In some ways no different from a male commissar, she keeps her demons at bay with alcohol and sex. But when she meets her only living relative, a Catholic novitiate renamed Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) that all begins to change.

Inside and out, there’s an oppressiveness, emphasized by the stark black and white cinematography by Ryszard Lenczewski and Lukasz Zal. This is a very un-psychedelic version of the 1960s. Surprisingly, though, there is some overlap with Mad Men in the smoking, cocktail jazz and dark humor. Wanda, who cleans up well off duty, has a bitter edge reminiscent of Don Draper’s New York women.  Continue reading →