TL;DR
Get movie nights delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski spoke with Meduza about his new film, “Fatherland,” which follows Thomas Mann’s journey through postwar Germany and is opening in theaters worldwide. He said the Cold War shaped his upbringing in Soviet-controlled Poland, while the present feels too complicated to understand fully. The interview draws comparisons between eras but does not claim they are equivalent.
As “Fatherland” opens in theaters worldwide, filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski told Meduza that the Cold War world of his childhood seemed easier to understand than the present, which he described as feeling like science fiction. The film follows German writer Thomas Mann’s journey through postwar Germany, a story that has prompted comparisons between Europe after World War II and Europe today.
In the interview, published by Meduza on October 26, Pawlikowski said he did not set out to make a planned trilogy with “Ida” (2013), “Cold War” (2018) and “Fatherland.” He rejected the idea that his films were conceived as a neat series about postwar Europe, saying that “Ida” instead grew from a period of confusion and a desire to change how he made films. Its black-and-white images, static shots and minimalism gave him a way to return to what he called cinema’s starting point.
Pawlikowski said “Fatherland” developed from research into Mann’s 1949 trip to Germany. After German producers sent him a biography of the writer, he focused on that journey rather than trying to adapt Mann’s whole life. He consulted the writer’s diaries and letters, his driver’s memoirs and writings by Mann’s daughter Erika. The film compresses material into a five-day road movie, with the Mann family’s relationships and postwar Europe as central concerns.
The filmmaker said Mann’s public role as a respected figure during the war sat alongside shortcomings in his earlier response to Nazism. He also discussed the personal and historical pressures surrounding Mann’s children, particularly Klaus, whose suicide is mentioned in the interview. Pawlikowski described a family conflict set against a divided Europe, while cautioning that historical analogies are never exact.
A Postwar Story Meets Present-Day Unease
The film’s release arrives as critics draw connections between postwar Europe and the present. Pawlikowski’s comments offer his personal perspective on why the earlier period resonates: he grew up in Soviet-controlled Poland, where the Cold War shaped his parents and his own understanding of the world. He said that experience makes the era more familiar to him, but he also stressed that today’s political and social landscape is difficult to interpret.
That distinction matters. The interview presents the parallels as a point of discussion, not proof that the two periods are the same. Pawlikowski described a postwar society divided between competing visions of the future and said Mann tried to bridge ideological divisions through culture and humanist values. In his account, that effort did not succeed. The film therefore places public responsibility alongside private strain without offering a direct formula for interpreting current events.
Popular right now
Samsung 42-Inch S90H OLED 4K Smart TV Bundle
Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker, NC301
iRobot Roomba Max 715 Pet Robot Vacuum with AutoEmpty Dock
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How ‘Fatherland’ Took Shape
“Fatherland” follows Mann’s travels through Germany after the war. Pawlikowski told Meduza that a full biography seemed too broad to adapt, and that he was not interested in making a conventional biopic or taking on a television series. Instead, he concentrated on a specific episode and drew on accounts from Mann and people around him. The resulting film combines real people and historical events with a compressed dramatic structure.
The project also continues Pawlikowski’s preference for carefully composed images. He said he works closely with cinematographer Łukasz Żal, framing shots like photographs and moving the camera only when needed. Pawlikowski described a tension in trying to create controlled compositions while drawing on a documentary style, which by nature involves less control over what happens in front of the camera.
Before its theatrical opening, the film screened at Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, New York and London, according to Meduza’s report. It was also selected as Poland’s entry for the Oscars. Those milestones have brought attention to the film ahead of its wider release, but the interview does not report its box-office results or award-season outcome.
“We’ve ended up in what feels like a science-fiction story.”
— Paweł Pawlikowski, speaking to Meduza
Release and Historical Comparisons
The interview says “Fatherland” is opening in theaters worldwide, but does not give country-by-country release dates, the number of theaters or audience figures. It also provides no indication of how the film will perform commercially or whether its Oscar selection will lead to a nomination.
Pawlikowski’s remarks are his own interpretation of the present and of Mann’s legacy. The interview does not establish that contemporary political divisions mirror those of postwar Europe, and the filmmaker explicitly warned that analogies have limits. The report also does not detail which specific current events he had in mind when he described today’s world as difficult to understand.
The Film’s Theatrical Run
“Fatherland” is now moving into its worldwide theatrical release after its festival screenings, with Poland’s Oscar submission adding another point of attention. The next measurable developments will include its release schedule in individual markets, audience response and any further awards-season decisions. None of those outcomes was available in the Meduza interview.
For now, Pawlikowski’s comments frame the film as a work rooted in a particular postwar journey and family story, rather than a direct allegory for current events. Whether viewers and critics see the same connections is likely to remain part of the discussion as the film reaches more theaters.
Key Questions
What is Paweł Pawlikowski’s new film about?
“Fatherland” follows German writer Thomas Mann’s journey through postwar Germany. Pawlikowski told Meduza that he based the story on research into Mann’s 1949 trip and shaped the material into a five-day road movie.
Is “Fatherland” part of a planned trilogy?
No. Pawlikowski rejected the idea that he had deliberately planned a trilogy with “Ida” and “Cold War.” He said the films were not conceived as a neatly connected series.
Why does Pawlikowski compare the Cold War with the present?
He said the Cold War shaped his upbringing in Soviet-controlled Poland, while the present feels difficult to understand. He also warned that historical comparisons are not exact.
Where has “Fatherland” screened?
Meduza reported that the film screened at Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, New York and London before its worldwide theatrical opening. The report does not provide release dates for individual countries.
Source: rss
