One of the most renowned novelists of the 20th century, Thomas Mann drew criticisms by fleeing Germany pre-WW2 rather than staying and rebelling against the Nazi government. Officially an American citizen, living in self-imposed exile, Mann gets a chance to return home to Germany when he’s given a literary prize by the new West German government. Meanwhile, the government of the East, looking to make cultural gains for communism, sets out to woo Mann as well. Setting off on a road trip across Germany with his daughter/manager Erika (played by Anatomy of a Fall and Project Hail Mary's Sandra Hüller), Fatherland becomes an examination of the division between two young nations, and the ways in which men cover up their wounds rather than addressing them head on.
The 2026 edition of the Forest City Film Festival is Powered By London Hydro.
