Czech Republic | Poland | Germany | France | Turkey 2025
Opening October 23, 2025

Directed by: Agnieszka Holland
Writing credits: Marek Epstein, Agnieszka Holland
Principal actors: Idan Weiss, Peter Kurth, Katharina Stark, Carol Schuler

Franz Kafka (Idan Weiss) is a young boy getting his hair cut. He grows older and has “discussions” with his father Hermann (Peter Kurth). He is supposed to work for an insurance company, but loves to write, even while sitting in the train, thinking about “what’s valuable in a word.” He moves from Prague into a new apartment in Berlin. Considering that he was born in 1883, writing letters is the main form of communication and he is an expert, writing three-four letters a day, including 300 letters to girlfriend Felice (Carol Schuler). They become engaged, but the marriage never occurs. There are other girlfriends, i.e. Grete, and even a prostitute named Roza. His writing, always by hand, leads to the publication of books, including Das Urteil  (The Judgement) in 1913, as well as letters, mostly with the help of mentor Max Brod. He often stands on stage dressed in a suit, reading from his books, sharing his opinions. He isn’t always successful; members of the audience leave early.

This biography introduces us to one of the most famous writers in history: Franz Kafka, who came from a Jewish family. Kafka suffered from tuberculosis and died in 1924 at the young age of forty-one. His relationship with his uncle was more satisfactory than with his father who was strict. The film shares many phases in these forty-one years, many in the form of flashbacks. We now have the word “Kafkaesque” which describes a situation, neither reasonable or understandable, which repeats regularly. He benefits from his situation as a victim in order to acquire success. A large group of naked men walk by, featuring juggling     penises—quite a rare movie scene. Franz K.  premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 5, 2025, and is not to be confused with films having similar titles from e.g., from  1972, 2016, and 2022. The film takes us on a tour of the Frank Kafka Museum in Prague; it also sent me to Wikipedia to learn more. Now I am reading the 760-page book Franz Kafka, Der ewige Sohn (Franz Kafka, the Eternal Son) by Peter-André Alt. (Becky T.)