In the 1960s Polish People’s Republic, Anna, a young novice nun, is told by her prioress that before she takes her vows she must visit her aunt, Wanda Gruz, who is her only surviving relative. Anna travels to Warsaw visit her aunt Wanda, a chain-smoking, hard-drinking, sexually promiscuous judge who reveals that Anna’s actual name is Ida Lebenstein; Ida’s parents had been Jews who were murdered late in the German occupation of Poland during World War II (1939–45). Ida was then an infant, and as an orphan she had been raised by the convent. Wanda, who had been a Communist resistance fighter against the German occupation, became the state prosecutor “Red Wanda”[10] who sent “men to their deaths”. Ida 2013 full Movie
Wanda tells Ida that she should try some worldly sins and pleasures before she decides to take her vows. On their way to their hotel for the night, Wanda picks up a hitchhiker, Lis (Polish for “fox”), who turns out to be an alto saxophone player who is going to a gig in the same town. Wanda tries to get Ida interested in Lis, and to come to his show, but she resists until going down after hours to watch the band wrapping up their evening with a song after the crowd has left. Lis is drawn to Ida and talks with her before she leaves for the night to rejoin her aunt who is passed out in their room.
Ida wants to see the graves of her parents, Róża and Haim Lebenstein, and Wanda reveals that it is not known where, or if, they were buried. Wanda asks her what would happen if she goes to where their bodies are and discovers that God is not there. Wanda takes her to the house they were born in and used to own, which is now occupied by a Pole, Feliks Skiba, and his family. During the war, the Skibas had taken over the home and land, and hidden the Lebensteins from the German authorities.