Fatherland (2026), a beautiful portrayal of Thomas Mann and Germany at a crossroads

I recently saw Paweł Pawlikowski's "Fatherland". It follows an aging Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) on his first journey through a destroyed Germany in 1949, 16 years after he left. He comes to accept the Goethe Prize in both Frankfurt and Weimar, in the West and the East. His daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) travels with him, and their relationship is at the heart of the film.

It takes cues from Pawlikowski's two earlier films, "Ida" and "Cold War". All three deal with a Europe ravaged by the Second World War and their protagonists' place in it. Like them, it is beautifully shot. It's been a long time since light and framing have moved me this much, and cinematographer Łukasz Żal deserves much of the credit.

It is a quiet, contemplative film. It only hints at the crossroads facing the two young German states, at what it means to grow up in the shadow of a famous father, and at the longing for a home that no longer exists when you return from exile.

But what stays with me a week later is its restraint. The runtime is under 90 minutes. The camera is never showy, always focused. Pawlikowski trusts his actors to express emotion subtly, and he trusts the audience to understand without long exposition. So often I watch a film and think a cut should have come earlier, a theme is overplayed, or the ending should have arrived five minutes ago. Never once did I feel that watching "Fatherland".

Have you seen it? What did you think? If not, I recommend it.