IDA (2013)

Nominated for the 2015 Best Foreign Film Oscar, Ida is set in Poland in 1962 and concerns a young woman, raised by nuns in a convent, who is set to become a nun herself when the Mother Superior informs her that she must first meet with her only living relative - Aunt Wanda, whom she's never seen and who refused to take Ida in as a child - before taking her vows.  In Wanda, Ida discovers a woman who seems her polar opposite in both manners and morals, and also learns a secret about her past that bonds the two women, setting them off on a journey for some long-needed closure that will have both ladies questioning their beliefs and their places in the world.  The story is simply told, the film striking in its use of black and white photography, cinematography ... even the music is haunting.  Agata Trzebuchowska, as Ida (her acting debut), has eyes that reach down to her soul, and while the film may not be for everyone it's a beautiful, simple story of faith - in one's self, as well as in that of a higher power. (rated PG-13)  B+

IDA trailer