Polish Oscar submission Ida slammed as “anti-Polish” by nationalists

Poland’s foreign language Oscar entry Ida by director Pawel Pawlikowski has become the centre of controversy after the Polish Anti-Defamation League (RDI), an organisation devoted to defending the reputation of Poland, has slammed the film as being “anti-Polish” for its depiction of the country’s involvement in the Holocaust.

The RDI’s complaint addressed the country’s state-funded Polish Film Institute, claiming that the movie “fails to acknowledge the German occupation” and that “the viewer with no understanding of history may leave the film with the idea that the blame for the Holocaust lies with the Poles”.

Ida, set in the 1960s, follows the story of a novice nun who learns that her parents were Jewish and murdered by the family that concealed them from the Nazis during the Second World War.

The RDI has requested that additional notes be added to the film to elucidate both the fact that Poland was under German occupation from 1939-45, as well as the risk of the death penalty for those found to be hiding Jews.

At the time of writing, the petition had over 43,650 signatures.

Source: The Guardian