The director of "Ida," the Polish movie that won this year's Oscar for best foreign film, said Monday that Poles should see it before calling it anti-Polish.
"Ida" premiered in Poland in 2013, but attracted little attention despite winning best picture in Poland's main movie festival.
Now the Oscar and a slew of other international awards have generated intense debate about whether it's unpatriotic, a charge leveled by right-wing politicians.
The movie is about Ida, a young woman preparing to be a nun, who discovers she is Jewish and that her parents were murdered by a Polish peasant during World War II.
Detractors argue that the movie lacks the historic background of terror under Nazi German occupation of Poland during the war. They say it fails to mention that many Poles saved Jews, despite the fact such actions were punishable by death.
Polish-British director Pawel Pawlikowski has brushed off the criticism, saying his movie is about identity not history.
At a meeting Monday with President Bronislaw Komorowski he suggested that not all those engaging in the debate had seen "Ida."
"I'd rather you saw the film," Pawlikowski said, "not debated it."
6 recipients named for Life Achievement Awards from Society of Camera Operators
The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) has announced the recipients of the upcoming Society of Camera Operators Lifetime Achievement Awards. Recipients will be presented and honored during the SOC Awards on February 15, 2025, at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.
SOC president Matthew Moriarty shared, “This year’s honorees represent an exceptional level of skill, dedication, and artistry. From broadcast to film, unscripted television to still photography, these individuals have made significant contributions to their craft and helped shape the stories that captivate audiences. We are proud to recognize their talent and celebrate their careers.”
The Lifetime Achievement Awards are given in recognition of outstanding achievement by an established person within the field of film and video production. The honorees of the Lifetime Achievement Awards were nominated in six categories including: Camera Operator Film and Television, Camera Operator Broadcast & Live, Camera Technician, Mobile Platform Camera Operator, Still Photographer, and (new) Camera Operator Unscripted.
The recipients are:
--Still Photographer – Zade Rosenthal
--Camera Operator Film & Television – Bonnie Blake, SOC
--Mobile Camera Platform Operator – Tim Christie
--Camera Technician – Jamie Felz
--Camera Operator Broadcast & Live – Larry Heider
--Camera Operator Unscripted – John Armstrong
Submissions are now open for the Camera Operator of the Year Award, which honors operators in Feature Film and Television, with a deadline of December 31, 2024. Final nominees will be selected by SOC voting members, with winners announced at the awards ceremony in February. The Technical Achievement Award, recognizing innovative... Read More