LOS ANGELES » The black-and-white Polish film "Ida" has won the Academy Award for best foreign language film.

The win marks the first foreign language Oscar for Poland despite nine previous nominations and a rich history of filmmaking, including by renowned directors like Andrzej Wajda and Roman Polanski. But the tautly made "Ida," a period film that plunges into a dark chapter of Polish history of German occupation during World War II, emerged as one of the critical hits of 2014. Pawel Pawlikowski’s film also was nominated for its cinematography.

Other nominees were: "Timbuktu" from Mauritania, "Wild Tales" from Argentina, "Leviathan" from Russia and "Tangerines" from Estonia.

The 87th Academy Awards are airing live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Neil Patrick Harris as host.