Agnieszka Holland on Her Kafka Film ‘Franz’ and Its Themes, Such as “Dangers of Totalitarian Society”

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Agnieszka Holland, a Polish filmmaker, talked about her latest biographical project titled “Franz” at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) on Monday. She explained that the movie delves into uncovering the core of Franz Kafka’s personality and touches upon themes relevant today, such as his concerns about totalitarian regimes.

The director showcased the movie trailer featuring German actor Idan Weiss prior to discussing the film’s creative development. In addition to Weiss, the cast boasts talents such as Jenovéfa Boková, Peter Kurth, and Ivan Trojan. Holland penned the script for this joint production among the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, and France, with Marek Epstein (known for “Charlatan”) taking on a significant role, while Mike Downey serves as executive producer.

“It’s great to see it on the screen,” Holland said after the trailer debut.

She has often compared Kafka to a close kin since her first encounter with his work at age 14. As she put it on Monday, “He’s been with me as an artist, a seer.” Living under Communist rule in Poland and Czechoslovakia, the surreal nature of Kafka’s works mirrored her everyday life and those regimes.

She expressed that Kafka’s “threefold identity” resonated with her, being a person of both Polish and Jewish descent living in an antisemitic Communist nation. Holland further highlighted that Kafka was largely prohibited in Czechoslovakia, except for brief intervals, under the Communist rule.

In the 21st century, following the collapse of communism, Kafka transformed into a prominent tourist destination and symbol for souvenirs, as the filmmaker contended. The movie aims to uncover the true nature of Kafka, revealing how deeply it has been concealed beneath popular culture.

After the fall of communism, Kafka emerged as the main tourist attraction and emblem for souvenir items in the 21st century, according to the filmmaker. The goal of the movie is to explore the fundamental character of Kafka and determine how much of it has been obscured by popular culture.

The film uses “an associative structure, more than a linear” narrative structure, she added.

In Holland’s analysis, the film’s themes – including life under a patriarch, the confinement of family dynamics, difficulties in communication, reluctance to define oneself, and a sense of doom about human nature – remain relevant today. He also pointed out the film’s warnings about totalitarian societies that undervalue the individual, seeing them as insignificant or negligible parts.

Inquired about embodying Kafka, Weiss responded: “He resided within me for a considerable duration, and eventually emerged.” For approximately two months, he secluded himself in his apartment, venturing outside only when it was nighttime to acclimate to the darkness, which he divulged. “Franz,” he added, “symbolizes sensitivity to me.

Meanwhile, Downey highlighted Kafka’s “rock star status.”

Acknowledging the renowned Czech author last year during his centenary of death, KVIFF showcased how filmmakers worldwide have been influenced for decades to either directly adapt his works or create films that embody a “Kafkaesque” style – characterized by themes such as tension, isolation, and absurdity, which made the novelist an influential and unique figure in 20th-century literature.

KVIFF runs through July 12.

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2025-07-07 14:55