Visitation

A villa in Brandenburg becomes a reflection of Germany’s history: Volker Schlöndorff’s Visitation (original title: Heimsuchung), based on Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel, tells a story of memory, loss and belonging across several generations. This sweeping ensemble drama had its world premiere in Cannes and opens Tyske Filmdager 2026.

A house by a lake near Berlin bears silent witness to a turbulent century in German history: the rise of National Socialism, the devastation of war, more than 40 years of the GDR, reunification and the beginning of a new era. Each regime and its population leave their mark: a Jewish family, an opportunistic architect and his wife, an idealistic couple of writers and their grandchildren. Their personal stories are closely tied to questions of belonging, loss and new beginnings. It is not only the country that is constantly changing, but also the understanding of what Heimat—homeland—means.

Volker Schlöndorff (born 1939 in Wiesbaden) has shaped German cinema since the 1960s and was one of the central figures of the “New German Cinema” movement. Many of his films are based on literary works, such as Die Blechtrommel (Blikktrommen), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1980. Visitation is based on Jenny Erpenbeck’s 2007 novel Heimsuchung, published in Norwegian in 2020 as Hjemsøkelse. Erpenbeck is one of the most significant writers of our time. With its many interwoven stories and characters, the film is carried by a strong ensemble. Lars Eidinger (Sterben (2024), The Last Execution (TFD 2022), You Believe in Angels, Mr. Drowak (TFD 2026)), Martina Gedeck (Das Leben der Anderen (2006), Allegro Pastell (2026)) and Susanne Wolff (Sisi & I (TFD 2023), Köln 75, Donkey Days (TFD 2026)) stand out in particular in the lead roles.