Ida ending explained · Cinespective

What happens

After Wanda's suicide, Anna briefly lives her aunt's life: the clothes, the drink, a night with Lis. In the morning she leaves him, puts her habit back on, and walks alone down a country road toward the convent.

The last image

Anna, back in her habit, walks down a country road toward the convent, the handheld camera moving with her.

Two readings

1 · A freely chosen vocationHaving tasted Wanda's world, Anna returns to the convent knowing what she gives up, so her vows become a real choice.

2 · Flight from griefOverwhelmed by loss and by what she has learned, Anna retreats into the one life she knows.

What it says

The film ends on a choice, not an explanation. Knowing where you come from does not tell you where to go. Anna's resolve is shown, never justified, so you must decide what her walk means.