Pawel Pawlikowski's 'Fatherland' premieres at Cannes 2026

At the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski presents 'Fatherland', a black-and-white film shot in 4:3 aspect ratio. Set in 1949, it follows Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika (played by Sandra Hüller) on a journey through post-war Germany from Frankfurt to Weimar. The film explores the impossibility of returning home, the moral ambiguities of intellectuals, and the human cost of ideological divisions. Hanns Zischler portrays a subdued Thomas Mann. The film is loosely based on Colm Tóibín's novel 'The Magician', produced by MUBI, and shot in Poland, Germany, and Italy. Pawlikowski previously won an Oscar for 'Ida' (2015) and the Best Director award at Cannes for 'Cold War' (2018).