American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 55

Frame pulls and photos courtesy of Music Box Films.

Jewish, and that her parents died during
the war in mysterious circumstances.
The two women set out to investigate the deaths with the hope of finding the couple's graves so they can pay
their respects. Their journey takes them
to the Polish countryside, where they
gradually uncover anti-Semitism and
war crimes, and over the course of their
travels, the two women become very
close.
Though Ida is centered on the
unlikely bond between a disenchanted
Stalinist judge and her innocent niece,
the film "is above all about identity and
faith," says Pawlikowski. "What was
great about making the film was that I
managed to put a lot of themes into it,
and then managed to lose them in the
story. That's how I think art should
work; it shouldn't be explanatory or
didactic or illustrative. Ida is a film that
tries to hover above the ground somehow. It's set in a certain historical time
and place, but I wanted it to be about
universal things ... about the spirit and
the mind. I wanted it to be a spiritual
journey, or about the lack of one."
With a laugh, the director
concedes that a black-and-white Polishlanguage film about a Jewish nun was
not an easy sell. In the end, he secured
modest funding from Polish and other
European sources. "It was kind of liberating not to expect anything commercially or critically - to be able to do
what I wanted to, but with little money,"
he says.
For
the
cinematography,
Pawlikowski turned to Lenczewski,
who had shot his first three features.
Lenczewski spent months prepping Ida,
scouting locations and taking thousands
of stills, but he fell ill after one day of
shooting, so Pawlikowski asked Zal, the
camera operator, to take his place. (Zal
and Lenczewski share a long history.
Zal was Lenczewski's teaching assistant
at the National Film School in Lödz,
and worked as his operator on several
films.) Lenczewski returned to Ida
briefly to shoot a few scenes, notably the
first nightclub scene and the discovery
of a grave in the woods, but Zal shot

Opposite page:
Novitiates prepare
to take their vows
in Ida. This page,
top and middle:
Ida (Agata
Trzebuchowska,
right) learns that
she has an aunt
and leaves the
convent to meet
her. Bottom:
Director Pawel
Pawlikowski (left)
and
cinematographer
Lukasz Zal, PSC
on set.

www.theasc.com

May 2014

55



http://www.theasc.com

American Cinematographer - May 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2014

Contents
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 1
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 2
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Contents
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 4
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 5
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 6
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 7
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 8
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 9
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 10
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 11
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 12
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 13
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 14
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 15
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 16
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 17
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 18
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 19
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 20
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 21
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 22
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 23
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 24
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 25
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 26
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 27
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 28
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 29
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 30
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 31
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 32
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 33
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 34
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 35
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 36
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 37
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 38
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 39
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 40
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 41
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 42
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 43
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 44
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 45
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 46
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 47
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 48
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 49
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 50
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 51
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 52
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 53
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 54
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 55
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 56
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 57
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 58
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 59
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 60
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 61
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 62
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 63
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 64
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 65
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 66
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 67
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 68
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 69
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 70
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 71
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 72
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 73
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 74
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 75
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 76
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 77
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 78
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 79
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 80
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 81
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 82
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 83
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 84
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 85
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 86
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 87
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 88
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 89
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 90
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 91
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - 92
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - May 2014 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1218_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1118_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1018_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0918_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0818_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0718_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0618_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0518_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0418_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0318_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0218_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0118_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1217_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1117_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1017_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0917_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0817_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0717_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0617_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0517_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0417_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0317_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0217_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0117_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1216_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1116_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1016_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0916_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0816_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0716_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0616_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0516_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0416_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0316_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0216_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0116_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1215_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1115_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1015_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0915_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0815_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0715_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0615_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0515_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0415_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0315_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0215_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0115_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1214
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1114
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0914
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0814
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0714
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0614
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0514
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0414
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0314
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0214
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0114
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1213
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1113
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0913
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0813
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0713
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0613
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0513
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0413
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0313
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0213
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0113
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0110
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com