Polish viewers in the United States will have the opportunity to see on the big screen a film that is set to represent Poland in the Oscar race. According to reports by the ANI and UNI agencies, citing “Variety” magazine, Poland has submitted Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” as its candidate for the Academy Award in the international feature film category for the 2027 edition.
What the film is about
The action takes place in the summer of 1949. Nobel laureate Thomas Mann, after sixteen years of emigration in the United States, returns to a divided Germany. Together with his daughter Erika—an actress, writer, and rally driver—he embarks on a journey from American-controlled Frankfurt to Soviet-controlled Weimar. According to Roger Ebert’s review, the film ends in an abandoned church in “no-man’s land,” where the family briefly reunites (rogerebert.com). The picture is black and white and runs for 82 minutes.
Cast and crew
Hanns Zischler plays Thomas Mann, and Sandra Hüller plays his daughter Erika. The cast also includes August Diehl, Devid Striesow, and Anna Madeley. The screenplay was written by Paweł Pawlikowski and Henk Handloegten. Cinematography was done by Łukasz Żal, costumes were designed by Aleksandra Staszko, and the set design was handled by Katarzyna Sobańska and Marcel Sławiński. Although the action takes place in Germany, filming took place mainly in Poland.
Cannes and the Oscar context
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in May 2026, where Pawlikowski received the Best Director award. As the Culture.pl portal noted, the director returned to the competition after an eight-year break (culture.pl). Pawlikowski is already known to American audiences: “Ida” received the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and “Cold War” was nominated for director, cinematography, and international feature film, among others. The submission does not guarantee a nomination yet. The Academy will announce its shortlist and nominations in the coming months, and the final outcome remains open.
When and where to watch
The distributor in the US is MUBI. According to reviews and festival information, the film hits theaters on October 23, 2026, and is subsequently scheduled to appear in digital format. The language version is primarily German with English subtitles, as the characters travel through post-war Germany. Theater lists and screening times in specific cities [TO BE COMPLETED after the distributor’s announcement] can be checked directly on the MUBI website or at local independent cinemas.
Why this matters to the Polish diaspora
For Polish communities in New York, Chicago, or Florida, this is an opportunity to go to the cinema together and talk about Poland’s contribution to world culture. Polish diaspora organizations, Polish libraries, and film clubs can organize group screenings or discussions on this occasion. It is also worth remembering that this is not the first time a Polish director has entered the American film market with auteur cinema, and their success may draw attention to other Polish productions.
When organizing a Polish diaspora film gathering, you can make use of Polish institutions and organizations from the Polish Pages directory.
