Fatherland

 I made it to the Reykjavik International Film Festival in time to see their showing of "Fatherland" by Paweł Pawlikowski starring Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler. I had missed it when it ran in Berlin, so was very glad to have the chance to see it. It is a must-see film about Thomas Mann, although it is a fictionalized story, it very clearly asks questions about what is meant be Heimat, what does the Vaterland mean when the country itself changes? A good knowledge of Thomas Mann's family story, their emigration to the US, and the Cold War with now two German countries insisting that THEY are the home of Thomas Mann is useful for understanding the film. I've seen some terrible rants about the movie. I found it excellent (the acting is superb!) for all the questions that get raised. We spent many hours discussing these questions among people for whom there is no simple answer as to "what is the Fatherland?" If you are interested in Germany and such questions, this is a must-see film!