Ida Director Paweł Pawlikowski was having trouble finding an Actress to play his title character, so he put out word to the Warsaw film community to be on the lookout for talent. Trzebuchowska was spotted by a friend of Pawlikowski, sitting in a cafe reading a book. Trzebuchowska had no acting experience or plans to pursue an acting career, but agreed to meet with Pawlikowski because she was a fan of his 2004 film My Summer of Love.
