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Pawel Pawlikowski Presents his Latest Film, Ida

During the 7^th day of activities at the 12^th FICM, Pawel Pawlikowsk. Guest of Honor, presented his most recent film Ida (2013) at the Cinépolis Morelia Centro.

Pawel Pawlikowski was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1957. At 14 years of age, he left his native country and lived in Germany and Italy until he settled in Britain, where he studied literature and philosophy in London. The director, who began directing short films and documentaries in 1987, has built his work outside the dominant conventions of the film industry. Marked by journeys into the unknown (his departure from Poland) and the constant crossing of borders (manifested, for example, in the difficulty in categorizing some of his work as documentary or fiction), Pawlikowski’s work is inspired by a search for chaos that began with his passion for jazz, then onto poetry, until he found a language that he managed to shape: film.

His latest film, Ida, has won numerous awards around the world and it is the second time that it is has been shown at FICM – its international premiere was last year at the 11^th edition of the festival. The film takes place in the ‘70s and portrays the conflict of Anna, raised by nuns and who is close to receiving her vows, when she meets her aunt, who reveals to her that she is Jewish. From there, the two embark on a journey to discover her origins, which makes Anna question her religious beliefs. In this story, Pawel builds a knot that weaves destinies, choices and identities, showing the confusion and the very crossroads of a country with as dramatic a history as Poland.

Prior to the screening, Daniela Michel, general director of FICM, said she was thrilled to present Ida at the festival for the second time, this time with the presence of Pawel Pawlikowski, the Guest of Honor. During the Q & A session, the Polish director shared various ideas about his latest film, which signified a return to his country and to his past.

In an exclusive interview with FICM, Pawel Pawlikowski talked about Ida:

Pawel Pawlikowski on the personal meaning of Ida:              

“Ida happens during the time of my childhood (…) It reflects to me a return to my past.”

Pawel Pawlikowski on the reactions to his film:

“For many people, Ida is a depressing thing in black and white, in a depressing place and in a depressing period. Some people are very moved and feel the love, the images, the acting and all the details (…) There are very extreme reactions.

At the screening of Ida at the 12^th FICM, Pawel said:

Pawel Pawlikowski on how to work with the script:

“As for the script, I tried to put it aside. We wanted to keep everything that I could remember and that seemed important, so with the actors, we did a kind of documentary to keep the film fresher and so that it didn’t look like an acted script, so that you could experience the film as in a permanent present.”

Pawel Pawlikowski on the music in the film:

“You’re not expecting a dialogue that works for the plot, but it’s all musical and it works for the moment.”

The Guest of Honor will present his film Last Resort (2000) on Friday, October 24, at the Cinépolis Morelia Centro, Sala 3, at 5 pm.