After his new film, Fatherland, opened the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, Pawlikowski continued enjoying his time with the local audience during today’s “Grand Coffee with…” session.
“This is not my first time in Sarajevo. I feel a sense of continuity, and as a director, I am deeply connected to this city. I feel at home here; I have so many memories of Sarajevo,” Pawlikowski said. Today, he describes the city with a simple phrase: “This is a city that smells of history.”
History is central to his vision as a filmmaker. Fatherland, which premiered at Cannes, where Pawlikowski was awarded Best Director, is the final installment of a trilogy that includes Ida and Cold War. The plot follows Nobel laureate Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) as they travel through a divided Germany in 1949.
For Pawlikowski, this is more than just a story about Germany; Fatherland is, on a personal level, a story about Europe. Living across different countries shaped his cinematic perspective. “I’ve lived in many places. Poland is my home country; I grew up there until I was 14, and I know the area well,” he noted.
Speaking about Fatherland, he explained that while some viewed the title as overly nationalistic, for him it carried a deep historical resonance. At the same time, he remains aware of its historical weight, given the word’s association with the language of the Third Reich. In the film, he sought to explore the paradox of a man trying to protect a homeland that has been morally, politically, and physically destroyed. He was also drawn to the dynamic between the author and his daughter Erika: “I found that relationship deeply intimate and compelling,” he said.
In his view, research and writing are inseparable, meaning the script was constantly evolving. “It’s virtually impossible to have a final version,” Pawlikowski explained.
He particularly emphasized his collaboration with the cast. Hanns Zischler captivated him with his pre-war aura, prompting Pawlikowski to simply give him room to perform. “I just let him do his thing,” he recalled. He added that Fatherland benefited from an exceptional cast and striking filming locations across Poland.
The film also features subtle humor. “Sometimes it’s purely unintentional,” he added with a smile. Music remains equally vital to his work: “I love working with music in film.” Fatherland concludes with Bach, a choice that adds further dramatic weight to the ending.
Pawlikowski noted that today’s concept of Europe increasingly strikes him as predictable and powerless. “The world is changing. Money has taken priority, while genuine friendships are becoming rarer,” he remarked.
In Sarajevo, those words carry distinct weight, and Fatherland stands as a reminder that history is never truly in the past.
