Pawel Pawlikowski Explains Why He Chose a 1949 Period Film Over Modern Chaos at Cannes

Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski has shared his motivation behind his latest film, Fatherland, during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday. The filmmaker explained that he chose to set the movie in 1949, a time of divided Germany, because he struggles to comprehend the state of the world in 2026.

Pawlikowski, whose Ida won the 2013 Oscar for Best International Feature Film and was nominated for Best Director for Cold War in 2019, premiered Fatherland at Cannes. The film centers on German author Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika as they return to post-World War II Germany in 1949 to receive an award.

Director’s Perspective on Modern Confusion

When asked if he saw parallels between 1949 and today’s world, Pawlikowski responded candidly:

“I am lost today. I have no idea what period we are in. That’s why I did a period film.”

He further elaborated on his filmmaking approach:

“So I try to make films that kind of convey that life is complicated, and there’s no one narrative, and everyone is paradoxical in some way. And try and convey that in the simplest possible way, which cinema can do well through images, scenes, sound, sound …”

Cast and Historical Context

The film stars Hanns Zischler as Thomas Mann and Sandra Hüller as Erika. Notably, Hüller has portrayed German characters from the World War II era in two of her films. When questioned about the emotional weight of playing such roles, she responded:

“I understand that question. Yes, I feel the guilt every day. And also, I never get bored of it, to feel the guilt, because it’s necessary in order to act right.”

Behind the Scenes of 'Fatherland'

Pawlikowski revealed that Fatherland was born out of necessity after his previous project, The Island—a film he had been developing for three years with Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara—collapsed two weeks before filming due to the actors' strike. He then received a script about Thomas Mann and focused on a pivotal moment in the writer’s life.

“I thought that could be an interesting film,” he said. “Not a kind of historical reconstruction, but if we can abstract everything away and focus on the … three characters, and the moment, and reduce what was a complicated long journey.”

He emphasized his preference for telling history through personal stories and relationships:

“And it’s a family story in it, an incredible historical context as well, which is always something that I like doing: telling history through people, through relationships.”

Pawlikowski also noted that he took creative liberties with historical events, such as replacing Thomas Mann’s wife, Katia, with his daughter Erika, whom he found more compelling. He explained that a key death in the film occurred three months earlier in reality and that he added characters, including the grandsons of composer Richard Wagner, to enrich the narrative.

“Once you throw things in and start eliminating, adding, condensing, you end up with something that’s very rich on a human level, historical level,” he said. “Something that can be told very simply.”

Fatherland is currently screening at the Cannes Film Festival.