"Fatherland" (Pawlikowski, 2026) - Review (Cannes Film Festival)

Sandra Hüller and Paweł Pawlikowski at the premiere of “Fatherland” at the 79th Cannes Film Festival

Written by Aoife Maher-Ryan

Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski (Cold War) made his return to this year's Cannes Film Festival with Fatherland. In his third post-World War 2 era film, he examines the relationship between exiled German writer Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) and his assistant, as well as his daughter Erica Mann (Sandra Hüller), while they road trip from West to East Germany. 

Thomas Mann, who left Germany for California before World War 2, is revisiting his homeland years later with his daughter Erica to receive the Goethe prize, an award celebrating Frankfurtian culture. During this time, Thomas’ gay son Klaus (August Diehl), who is living in France, calls Erica; the conversation showcases their close sibling relationship. Soon after the call, it is revealed that Klaus has committed suicide. His death creates further cracks in a family that has been breaking down for a while. As the road trip continues, it is clear that there is tension brewing between Erica and her father. She wants to be seen as more than her father’s assistant, and Thomas struggles with where home is. Both are reconciling with the weight and sadness of post-war Germany. Culminating in a frank discussion between each other, attempting to rebuild their connection.

Pawlikowski, who won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for Cold War in 2018, is operating on a similar level here. Each scene is meticulously and beautifully shot in black and white by Pawlikowski’s frequent collaborator, cinematographer Łukasz Żal. The film clocks in at just under 80 minutes; any longer would feel tedious. Sandra Hüller’s performance is what makes this movie memorable. She is able to execute an emotional and controlled portrayal that is a compelling watch. The whole film does feel distant and sorrowful in the shadow of the historical context it is set in—sometimes too much. Compared to Ida and Cold War, the other films in Pawlikowski’s loose post-war trilogy, this might be his weakest, but it is still an accomplishment nonetheless. 

The film had its world premiere at Cannes last week and is set to be released in Poland on June 19. Release dates for other countries are yet to be announced.