Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski's film Fatherland (Ojczyzna) has been selected as the opening film of the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2026.
Set in the summer of 1949, during the early years of the Cold War, the 82-minute film explores the relationship between Nobel Prize-winning German writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika, an actress, writer and rally driver.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Fatherland will be the opening film of the 57th IFFI.
Directed by Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski.
Stars Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler.
The 82-minute film is set in post-war Germany in 1949.
The film will have its India premiere at IFFI.
Pawlikowski shared the 2026 Cannes Best Director Award for the film.
The story follows Thomas Mann's return to Germany after 16 years of exile in the United States. Accompanied by his daughter, he undertakes a road trip in a black Buick across a war-devastated and divided Germany, travelling from US-controlled Frankfurt to Soviet-controlled Weimar.
As they journey through the country, the father and daughter confront the consequences of war, political divisions and tensions within their own family. The film explores themes of identity, history, family relationships and the meaning of home.
Featuring Sandra Hüller as Erika Mann and Hanns Zischler as Thomas Mann, Fatherland is a black-and-white production jointly involving Poland, Germany, Italy and France. The film will have its India premiere at the festival.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The selection brings an internationally recognised European film to the opening of one of India's major film festivals. It also highlights cinema's ability to explore historical events, cultural differences and human relationships across national boundaries.
Pawlikowski received the Best Director Award (ex aequo) at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in 2026 for Fatherland.
The 57th IFFI will be organised under the theme 'Stories Without Borders', celebrating international cinema and storytelling across cultures.
