CFF: Fatherland (12A)

Dir. Paweł Pawlikowski | 2026 | 82 mins | German with English Subtitles 

In 1949, German writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika embark on a road trip across a Germany in ruins, from US-dominated Frankfurt to Soviet-controlled Weimar.

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, the visionary director of Ida and Cold War, comes Fatherland, a breathtakingly beautiful black-and-white drama starring Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler. 

Germany, 1949. The Second World War is over, but its scars remain. Nobel Prize-winning novelist Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) returns to his homeland after sixteen years of exile in America, accompanied by his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller), an outspoken writer, actress and political activist. With extraordinary performances and luminous cinematography by Łukasz Żal, Fatherland is both an intimate portrait of a complicated father-daughter relationship and a profound reflection on the responsibilities of artists and intellectuals in times of political upheaval.

Premiering in Competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Pawlikowski won the Best Director award, Fatherland has received widespread critical acclaim. Its elegant storytelling, emotional depth and striking visual compositions mark another major achievement from one of contemporary cinema's most distinctive filmmakers.

A compelling, thought-provoking film about the meaning of home, the weight of history and the difficult choices involved in confronting the past

TIME OUT 5/5

“A mesmerising, philosophical road trip with a German literary great.”

ROGEREBERT.COM 3.5/4

“An artist in full command of his medium.”

Cornwall Film Festival: Fatherland (12A)

Saturday 21st November, 5.00pm

To book tickets online click here. This will take you to the Cornwall Film Festival website. 

Tickets can also be purchased in person at The Poly or via phone at 01326319461

Please be aware films will start at the advertised time, we rarely show adverts and usually show under 5 minutes of trailers.