'Fatherland' Premieres at Cannes to Lengthy Standing Ovation
The film Fatherland, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski, premiered in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday evening. The screening, held at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, was followed by a standing ovation from the audience. Reports on the duration of the ovation varied, with one source stating five minutes, another reporting four and a half minutes, and a third claiming six minutes.
The screening was followed by a standing ovation lasting up to six minutes.
Project Details and Cast
Fatherland is Pawlikowski's first feature film since Cold War (2018). It is a German-language period drama shot in black and white. The film runs for 82 minutes, making it the shortest feature in the 2025 Cannes competition lineup.
The cast is led by Hanns Zischler as Thomas Mann and Sandra Hüller as his daughter, Erika Mann. Additional cast members include August Diehl, Devid Striesow, and Anna Madeley.
Plot
Set in the summer of 1949, the story follows Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika as they travel from Frankfurt to Weimar in a black Buick. Their road trip takes place in post-war Germany against the backdrop of the Cold War.
According to Pawlikowski, the film addresses "turmoils of history, with exile and with our transcendental need for home and belonging."
Filmmaking Team
Pawlikowski co-wrote the screenplay with German director Hendrik Handloegten. The film reunites Pawlikowski with a trusted creative team, including cinematographer Lukasz Zal, costume designer Aleksandra Staszko, editor Piotr Wójcik, production designers Katarzyna Sobańska and Marcel Sławiński, and composer Marcin Masecki.
Distribution
Distributor Mubi holds the rights to the film in multiple territories.
Background on Director
Pawlikowski's previous film, Cold War, won the Best Director prize at Cannes in 2018 and received three Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Director. His film Ida (2013) won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.