Agnieszka Holland Premieres Kafka Biopic Franz at TIFF

Agnieszka Holland’s new film "Franz" is an unconventional biopic of Czech writer Franz Kafka that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Rather than a traditional biography, the film interweaves Kafka's real life with his fiction, reflecting the fragmented and prophetic nature of his work. Holland, who has had a lifelong connection to Kafka, sought to humanize him beyond the commercialized image, portraying him as a sharp, humorous, and complex figure. The film stars German actor Idan Weiss as Kafka, with Peter Kurth playing his father, and includes dramatizations of Kafka’s stories such as "In the Penal Colony" to highlight themes of institutional cruelty relevant to contemporary times. Holland’s personal journey with Kafka began as a teenager and influenced her studies in Prague; she previously adapted "The Trial" for Polish television in 1981. "Franz" is being hailed as a timely reintroduction of Kafka’s work for a new generation, emphasizing the writer’s enduring relevance amid modern dehumanizing systems.