Fatherland

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Fatherland

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1h 22m

Drama

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111 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 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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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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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

2 days ago

3.5/4

A haunting but quiet reflection on the past that sneaks up and hits you with a groundswell of emotions.

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

2 days ago

4/5

How do you heal an entire country when you can’t even heal your family? Or heal yourself?

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

3 days ago

I thought it was really poignant, really kind of profound.

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Ray Pride

Newcity

1 day ago

10/10

Pawlikowski works from surfaces to capture inner emotions, to deeply affecting result. He indicates rather than underlines; his command of ellipsis offers a kind of understated bravura.

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Al Alexander

Movies Thru the Spectrum

1 day ago

B+

If "Fatherland" scores Oscar nominations, as expected, it will largely be due to Łukasz Żal, arguably the finest cinematographer working today, and Sandra Hüller, incomparable at conveying strength and vulnerability in one of her best performances.

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Sonny Bunch

The Bulwark

2 days ago

3/4

Hüller delivers one of the performances of the year as Erika.

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John D

52 min ago

Sandra Huller my goat

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Anton A

3 days ago

What a nice, quiet and slow film!

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Gerald K

6 days ago

Sandra Hüller's performance is excellent

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Urs P

@booptoot 2 hrs ago

im a naturalised german citizen and i think im the target audience for this film because it punched me right into the heart. by the end i was absolutely bawling my eyes out. movie is absolutely stunning

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Stephen S

@AcademyScreamer 2 hrs ago

A short story with strong performances and an intelligently rendered setting. Don’t expect much in the way of drama or directorial vision.

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Evan C

@RT74783562 6 hrs ago

Despite being short, Fatherland still manages to say a lot in its reflection of post-WWII Germany, led by another stellar performance by Sandra Hüller. While the themes are interesting, be warned it's quite slow, & I don't know if it would hit as well without Hüller in the lead.

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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

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Fatherland: Trailer 2

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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
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 22m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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