A Polish film about a young nun who finds out her parents were Jews killed in the Holocaust has been nominated for an Academy Award.

Ida will compete with four other nominees for the Best Foreign Language Film award at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on February 22.

Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, the film centres on Anna, an orphaned nun played by newcomer Agata Trzebuchowska.

Just before taking her vows at a convent in 1960s Poland, Anna is told by her last relative that she is Jewish, and her real name is Ida. She responds to this revelation by embarking on a journey to find out the truth about her family.

Also nominated for the award is Leviathan, a Russian film about corruption which won best film at the London film festival, and Tangerines, about Estonian tangerine farmers who refuse to leave despite the war raging around them.

Completing the shortlist are Timbuktu, a depiction of Islamist influence on the Malian city, and Wild Tales, a black comedy that takes audiences through a series of stories in Argentina.