The first official trailer for Fatherland has arrived, giving viewers a look at the black-and-white drama starring Sandra Hüller. The film, directed by Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, earned the Best Director award at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. MUBI released the trailer, building excitement for a movie that critics have already praised for its sharp storytelling and powerful performances.
The 82-minute film follows Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) and his daughter Erika Mann (Sandra Hüller) on a road trip across a broken Germany in the summer of 1949. The Cold War has just begun, and the country lies in ruins from World War II. The father and daughter travel from Frankfurt, controlled by the Americans, to Weimar, controlled by the Soviets.
A Father-Daughter Road Trip Through a Divided Germany
Fatherland takes place during a specific moment in history when Germany was split into two parts. Thomas Mann had fled the country in 1933 when the Nazis rose to power. Now, sixteen years later, he returns to accept the Goethe Prize, an important literary award. His daughter Erika comes along as his assistant, driver, translator, and even his barber.
The trailer shows the pair driving in a black Buick through empty streets and damaged buildings. The black-and-white cinematography, done by Łukasz Żal, turns shadows and light into strong visual statements. Pawlikowski used the same style in his previous films, Ida and Cold War, which also looked at the years after World War II.
The story is not just about a road trip. It deals with heavier topics like denial, guilt, and the struggle to move forward after terrible events. Erika Mann was not just a daughter along for the ride. In real life, she was an actress, writer, and rally driver. The film shows her as someone who sees through the fake politeness of people who supported the Nazis and now pretend nothing happened.
“Fatherland is so unsettling because it’s honest. Instead of a reckoning, there’s talk about opera over drinks and polite silence.” – Cineuropa review
Sandra Hüller’s Performance Gets Major Praise at Cannes
When Fatherland premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2026, the audience gave the film a five-minute standing ovation. Sandra Hüller, known for her recent role in Project Hail Mary, stood overwhelmed as the crowd cheered for her performance.
Critics have called her work in this film unforgettable. One review said she gives a “quietly grand performance you never forget.” Another described her as having “clipped brilliance,” able to communicate so much with just a look or a single line. Her character carries the weight of the past while everyone around her seems eager to forget.
The film also features August Diehl as Klaus Mann, Erika’s brother, whose absence looms over the entire trip. Joachim Meyerhoff plays Gustaf Gründgens, Erika’s ex-husband who worked under the Nazi regime. Joanna Kulig, who starred in Pawlikowski’s Cold War, makes a singing cameo appearance.
Pawlikowski Wins Best Director at Cannes 2026
The 79th Cannes Film Festival handed out its awards on May 22, 2026. Paweł Pawlikowski won the Best Director prize for Fatherland, sharing the honor with Spanish directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for their film La Bola Negra.
This marks Pawlikowski’s second Best Director win at Cannes. He previously won for Cold War in 2018. His film Ida won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2015. The Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize, went to Romanian director Cristian Mungiu for Fjord.
The jury, led by director Park Chan-wook, recognized Fatherland for its tight storytelling and emotional power. At just 82 minutes, the film moves quickly and does not waste a single scene.
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When and Where to Watch Fatherland
MUBI, the global streaming and distribution company, picked up the rights to Fatherland. The company plans to release the film in theaters across multiple countries in fall 2026.
The theatrical release will cover the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and India.
After the theatrical run, the film will likely become available on MUBI’s streaming platform, following the company’s usual distribution pattern for their acquired titles.
The trailer, now available online, gives a taste of the film’s serious tone and beautiful black-and-white visuals. It shows Hanns Zischler as the composed, sometimes distant father and Sandra Hüller as the daughter who struggles to keep her anger and grief under control.
For audiences who enjoy thoughtful historical dramas and strong character work, Fatherland has already become one of the most talked-about films to come out of this year’s Cannes festival.
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