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Fatherland

Play trailer 2:05 Poster for Fatherland In Theaters Oct 23 1h 22m Drama Biography History Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 46 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
FATHERLAND centers on the relationship between the Nobel Prize-winning writer Thomas May (Hans Zischler) and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) -- actress, writer and rally driver. In the summer of 1949, at the height of the Cold War, father and daughter embark on a challenging and emotional road trip in a black Buick taking them across a Germany in ruins -- from US dominated Frankfurt to Soviet controlled Weimar. Returning home after sixteen years in exile in the US, Thomas Mann has to face not only a divided fatherland, but also a deep fracture within his own family. With FATHERLAND, Pawlikowski picks up where he left off with his award-winning IDA and COLD WAR, exploring -- in his elliptic, distilled style -- the themes of identity, family, love and guilt amid the turmoil and confusion of post-war Europe.
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Fatherland

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Pairing Hanns Zischler and Sandra Hüller in a quietly compelling father-daughter dynamic, Fatherland continues director Paweł Pawlikowski's exploration of post-WWII Europe with characteristic intelligence and refinement.

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Cast & Crew

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Paweł Pawlikowski

Director

Hanns Zischler

Thomas Mann

Sandra Hüller

Erika Mann

August Diehl

Klaus Mann

Anna Madeley

Betty Knox

Devid Striesow

Johannes R. Becher

Critics Reviews

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Tomris Laffly Elle May 28
An exquisite study of family, identity, and art where future ideals are intertwined with historical remorse. Go to Full Review Peter Howell Toronto Star May 26
Writer/director Pawel Pawlikowski observes history with wisdom, grace and caustic humour. Go to Full Review Nicolas Rapold Sight & Sound May 26
What makes the father-and-daughter generational double-act so effective of course rests on the casting: Sandra Hüller brings her clipped brilliance to the role. Go to Full Review Marcelo Paredes Cinencuentro Aug 27
...Fatherland doesn't achieve the same forcefulness as its predecessors...but it remains a solid film because the doubts that haunt its characters never truly belong solely to the time in which they live. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Mauricio Jarufe Caballero Cinencuentro Aug 18
Fatherland...astutely showcases the evolution of Pawlikowski's style. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Nicolás Medina Montevideo Portal / Latido Beat Aug 17
7/10
It features Pawlikowski's usual formal precision, magnificent performances, and a remarkable sensitivity in connecting collective trauma with personal tragedies. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews
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Fatherland

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Fatherland

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Movie Info

Synopsis FATHERLAND centers on the relationship between the Nobel Prize-winning writer Thomas May (Hans Zischler) and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) -- actress, writer and rally driver. In the summer of 1949, at the height of the Cold War, father and daughter embark on a challenging and emotional road trip in a black Buick taking them across a Germany in ruins -- from US dominated Frankfurt to Soviet controlled Weimar. Returning home after sixteen years in exile in the US, Thomas Mann has to face not only a divided fatherland, but also a deep fracture within his own family. With FATHERLAND, Pawlikowski picks up where he left off with his award-winning IDA and COLD WAR, exploring -- in his elliptic, distilled style -- the themes of identity, family, love and guilt amid the turmoil and confusion of post-war Europe.
Director
Paweł Pawlikowski
Producer
Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Mieli, Ewa Puszczyńska, Jeanne Tremsal, Edward Berger, Dimitri Rassam, Lorenzo Gangarossa
Screenwriter
Paweł Pawlikowski, Hendrik Handloegten
Distributor
MUBI
Production Co
Polski Instytut Sztuki Filmowej, Extreme Emotions, MUBI
Genre
Drama, Biography, History
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 23, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 22m
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