"Fatherland" tells the story of the relationship between Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller), an actress and writer. The action takes place at the height of the Cold War. Father and daughter embark on a difficult, emotional journey in a black Buick through ruined Germany – from Frankfurt under American control to Weimar under Soviet influence. For the first time since the end of the war, Mann returns to his homeland, having previously made the difficult decision to emigrate to the United States.