Ida, directed by Poland’s Paweł Pawlikowski, has won the Oscar for best foreign language film, defeating the much-fancied Russian anti-Putin satire Leviathan, and becoming the first Polish film to win the award, The Guardian reports.

Telling the story of a novice nun in 1960s Poland who discovers she is Jewish just before she is to take holy orders, Ida emerged as a strong awards contender after winning the best film award at the London film festival in 2013. It has since battled with Leviathan at all the major awards ceremonies since, winning the Bafta for best foreign film and best film at the European film awards, but losing out at the Golden Globes.

Accepting the award, Pawlikowski said: “We make a film about silence and withdrawing from the world and the need for contemplation – and here we are, at the epicentre of world noise and attention. Fantastic – life is full of surprises.”

This marked Pawlikowski’s first Oscar nomination, but he has previously done well at the Baftas, winning best British film in 2005 for My Summer of Love and most promising newcomer in 2001 for Last Resort.

Although Ida was successfully released in Poland in October 2013, and won four Polish film academy awards, including best film, the film’s high international profile saw it become subject to a campaign by the Polish Anti-Defamation League, who called it anti-Polish. Pawlikowski described the complaints as “a stream of hate in the Polish media from the right” and “too silly to comment on”.

The Academy Awards took place at the Dolby theatre in Los Angeles and were hosted by Gone Girl star Neil Patrick Harris.