Power in silence; Ida

  Something that has been inspiring me a lot lately is the Polish film Ida that was released in 2013, winning the Academy for Best Foreign Language Film. The film follows Ida, a young Polish women, as she prepares to take her vows to become a nun in the early 60s. 

Still from Ida (2013)

  Through it's simple static framing and understanding of composition and lighting, Ida beautifully captures emotion and feeling in the most subtle yet striking way. This is perfectly exemplified in this scene in which main protagonist Ida has just returned from her travels and is now questioning her religion and decision to becoming a nun. In this short scene that is just under three minutes and has barely any dialogue, we learn exactly how Ida feels; how isolated she feels in the convent, her reluctance to praying, and her true desires. Having the ability to expose the characters to the audience in such a seemingly subtle way allows for a director to show you something significant in a short amount of time, a technique that I wish to incorporate in my final project. 

Still from Ida (2013)