In the summer of 1949, the celebrated German writer Thomas Mann sets off with his daughter Erika on a journey to Frankfurt, where he is to receive the prestigious Goethe Prize. Mann is returning to his homeland after sixteen years, having left it with the rise of Nazism. His reputation in Germany is ambivalent: while no one disputes his status as a literary master, many criticise him for having lived a comfortable life in California during the war. Upon arriving in war-ravaged Germany, the writer learns that he is to receive another prize, this time in the eastern part of the country, under Soviet occupation. As Mann and his daughter move between different political regimes, they observe the changes unfolding across Europe and reflect on the role of great artists such as Thomas Mann in these turbulent times.
"I was approached to adapt a biography of Thomas Mann, which I didn't want to do – I don't make biopics. However, there was this one episode which felt quite personal to me: Thomas Mann's return to Germany in the wake of WWII. /.../ Again, the two came together: there is the weird triangle of father, daughter, and his son Klaus; and there is an interesting historical moment, which is about the disintegration of European civilization, and the attempt to recreate something in its place." (Paweł Pawlikowski)