Fatherland

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Fatherland

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1h 22m

Drama

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93%

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119 Reviews

81%

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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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Odie Henderson

Boston Globe

3 hrs ago

3/4

As the film unfolds, "Fatherland" becomes an odd take on the road trip movie: the usual trope of characters getting to know each other while having adventures is replaced by two people who know each other far too well.

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Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

2 days ago

5/5

Provocative, insightful, thrillingly acted and tightly scripted, Fatherland will be the Polish contender for the Oscar and is a theatrical must-see.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

6 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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Robert Denerstein

Denerstein Unleashed

1 day ago

Weariness and resignation penetrate Zischler's performance, as if Mann knows that his day is done.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

2 days ago

7/10

A Pawlikowski film that requires no solemnity to achieve depth, engaging in a dialectical discourse on the transience of the artist, featuring splendid performances by Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler. [Full review in Spanish]

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Maxance Vincent

InSession Film

2 days ago

A

Paweł Pawlikowski at his best.

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Gregory O

1 day ago

A Dud! No point to the movie. Appears to be a work in progress.

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Patrick

2 days ago

Very poignant film.

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John D

4 days ago

Gorgeous and emotional

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Anton A

Oct 29, 2026

What a nice, quiet and slow film!

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Gerald K

Oct 26, 2026

Sandra Hüller's performance is excellent

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linda e

2 days ago

The movie was good. it was dragging in some places. It was a good C.

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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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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
Box Office (Gross USA): $249.2K
Runtime: 1h 22m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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