Fatherland at Cannes: Pawlikowski, Sandra Hüller

Fatherland Cannes – Pawel Pawlikowski explains why he made “Fatherland” in 1949 divided Germany, and Sandra Hüller discusses playing guilt and Nazi-era roles at Cannes.

A new Cannes spotlight is being pointed at the gap between then and now. as Pawel Pawlikowski returns to the post-World War II era with “Fatherland.” Speaking at a Friday press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. the Polish director linked the film’s 1949 setting to what he described as his own confusion about the present. saying he didn’t understand the state of the world in 2026.

Pawlikowski said he decided to build the story around divided Germany in 1949 because he feels “lost today. ” adding that he doesn’t know what period people are living through.. In his words. that uncertainty is part of why he chose a period film in the first place. using cinema to express how complicated life can be when there isn’t a single. clear narrative to follow.

That approach is reflected in the movie’s premise.. “Fatherland” follows the German author Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika as they travel back through post-World War II Germany to receive an award in 1949.. It’s a journey that places personal emotion inside a wide historical moment. a combination Pawlikowski said he likes when he makes films that tell history through people and relationships.

When asked whether he sees parallels to today’s world, Pawlikowski didn’t lean into direct comparisons.. Instead. he emphasized that he is trying to make films that convey complexity. where no one is fully consistent and everyone is. in some way. paradoxical.. He also described his goal in terms that cinema can deliver well through images and scenes. supported by sound and other details that shape what audiences feel as they watch.

The cast brings a distinct connection to that emotional mission. The film stars Hanns Zischler as Thomas Mann and Sandra Hüller as his daughter Erika. During the press event, Hüller was asked about guilt—specifically whether she feels it when playing German women from the Nazi-era period.

Hüller’s response was direct: she said she understands the question, that she feels guilt every day, and that she never gets bored of confronting it. For her, that guilt is portrayed not as a mood that disappears, but as something necessary in order to act the right way.

“Fatherland” also carries the weight of Pawlikowski’s recent filmmaking setbacks.. The director said he made the film after “The Island. ” a project he had been working on for three years with Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara.. He explained that it fell apart two weeks before filming was set to begin due to the actors’ strike.

From there. he said he was sent a script about Thomas Mann and focused in on one particular moment from the writer’s life.. Pawlikowski described the way he shaped the concept, saying he wasn’t aiming for a straightforward historical reconstruction.. Instead. he talked about abstracting details away. concentrating on a smaller set of characters and on the moment that drives the story.

In that process. Pawlikowski said the film becomes both a family story and a vehicle for history. with the historical setting providing the pressure and context for relationships to unfold.. He also addressed what he considered significant to the real events: when Mann went to Germany. Pawlikowski said it involved Mann’s wife Katia. but he felt she wasn’t dramatically compelling. so he dismissed that approach and brought in Erika. describing her as more interesting.

The director further explained how he handled historical timing and surrounding figures.. He said a key death that occurs early in the film actually happened three months earlier.. He also discussed adding other characters. including the grandsons of composer Richard Wagner. describing the constant shaping involved when you eliminate. add. and condense elements to create a story that remains rich on both human and historical levels.

While the film gathers those moving parts, Pawlikowski insisted that the goal is for everything to be told simply—an idea that echoes his earlier comments about cinema’s ability to communicate complexity through scenes rather than exposition.

“Fatherland” is screening in the Main Competition at Cannes. and the film has received some of the most positive reviews of the festival so far.. With Pawlikowski framing his return to 1949 as both a creative response and a reflection of disorientation in the present. the premiere has landed as more than a period drama—it’s a pointed reminder that the past. like the present. resists easy narratives.

Misryoum

Pawel Pawlikowski Fatherland Cannes Sandra Hüller Thomas Mann Erika divided Germany 1949 Main Competition period film