Franz (2025)

[bunniefuu]

When Brod introduced me to Franz,

something unexpected happened.

Before he shook my hand, he bowed

in such an awkward way

that his hair brushed my forehead.

He was the first person

who didnt treat me differently,

even though he knew I couldnt see.

- You werent supposed to wear my things.

- Its my dress.

I bought it last summer.

Franz,

you know what?

Lets make a deal. Youll stay here

until you calm down

and understand

that we need to sleep. No ones going

to open the shop for us in the morning. Behave

like a man and you can come back

to our bedroom. Agreed?

We cant leave him outside.

A little fear will do him good.

FRANZ KAFKA

The moon was already hanging high.

A mail coach passed by,

bathed in its light. A faint wind

blew. You could feel it

even in the grave.

- And nearby...

- What rudeness!

- the forest began to rustle.

- The nerve! Do you understand?!

Proletarian greed.

Those calculating Czechs!

Calm down.

Youll make yourself sick again.

Ive been sick for ages

because of that leftist scoundrel!

- What happened, Dad?

- The shop manager quit.

- Again?

- Let him go to hell!

He wants more money?

The only thing he deserves more of

is a kick in the backside!

Kasl talked the salesmen

into moving with him

to the shop in Vinohrady.

- Weve got no one left.

- Franz?

Listen...

Tomorrow youll go to Radotn

and convince accountant Pink

to withdraw his resignation.

- Tomorrow?

Scare him with court,

if he doesnt show up on Monday

at the shop. Without an accountant

were finished.

But I...

Tomorrow Franz has a reading

at the Clerks Association.

- What reading?

- Oh, please.

You want to say your scribbling

is more important

than the survival of the company?!

- Of course not.

He was invited together

with Max and Werfel.

Thats irrelevant.

- You prepared all week.

- Ottla, be quiet.

- You cant cancel now.

- Why must I endure this?

You see? Your children!

We tear ourselves apart

so they can have a better life, but the one time

they can help, they turn their backs

on us.

- I said Id go to the accountant.

- You cant.

- Ottla, to your room.

Any father would wish

for a son like this.

- Ill talk to her.

- Might as well talk to a wall.

Smile!

When you see

Icchaks performance, youll understand. Its not

ordinary theatre, its a revelation

about the nature of thought.

- Jewish thought?

That too.

It shows what weve left behind,

so we can understand where we want to go.

And besides that,

its excellent entertainment.

- You dont know Yiddish. Neither do I.

- A performance like this is understood with the heart.

Could you spare a crown?

I havent eaten in three days.

- Ill give him something.

- I earn money, you know.

- I have two crowns. Can you give change?

- For what?

You asked for a crown.

Yes... I dont have change.

- Then give the coin back.

- What?

The money.

Ill find a crown.

Hell get it when he returns

my two crowns. Please.

- You gave them to me.

- A crown.

- A twocrown piece. The lady saw it.

- Let him keep the twocrown coin.

No!

Why? It will be a doubly

good deed.

He must take responsibility

for what he says. As we all must.

You asked for a crown,

and I gave you two!

You owe me the change!

Words have a unique

and unquestionable weight.

Franz...

The Bible says so.

Why does no one understand

what a word means?

Why?

There is still so much

I long to tell you.

And yet

I can contain it all

in one single word.

Abnegation!

That is what drives

the body to act.

A cry toward God,

saying we are ready.

I am ready.

Ten days in this cage

is only the beginning.

The art of asceticism begins

only on the fifteenth day.

After twenty days

the gates of heaven open,

but only after forty

do you leave your body

and begin truly to see.

You perceive the world

in its original form,

as God entrusted it

to humanity.

All were created

to know the truth.

Everyone!

Even you.

Franz?!

Faster!

Franz!

Come on, girls, just a bit more!

Push!

- Sir?

- Are you alright?

He was a normal, healthy

boy. He used to visit me

in Trest for the holidays.

He was interested in everything

modern. He used to say:

Uncle, you must keep up

with the times. Or youll lose.

It was because of him I sold the carriage

and bought this infernal machine.

He was a different Franz

from the one in Prague, buried in statutes.

I think with me he felt...

happy.

- Good morning.

- Welcome.

Quickly. Theyve been waiting

for you ten minutes.

Im terribly sorry.

The factory owner held me up.

We may begin.

Honourable DirectorGeneral,

allow me to present

the applicants: Kraus, Zenkl, and Kafka.

Director Marschner has recommended

them for promotion to the post

of deputy secretary.

- Thank you.

Gentlemen, the Workers Accident

Insurance Institute

is the largest institution

of its kind

in the Kingdom of Bohemia and in the entire

Empire.

Not only here in Vienna,

but throughout the country

it is clear

that compulsory insurance

for workers

is the most important step forward

in the field of insurance

that we have taken

in recent decades.

Excuse me.

At the same time, it must be stressed

that the recordkeeping and handling

of individual cases

requires tireless

commitment

from our best

and sharpest minds.

Im sorry. Please forgive me.

- Kafka?

- Ill go get him.

Unbelievable.

Im very sorry.

Please forgive me.

If you wish

If you wish to meet with Dr. Kafka,

please arrange an appointment

with his secretary. And regarding

his ideas on workplace safety,

please direct your inquiries

to the Patent Office.

Can you hurry up?

A blind man longs for the plain.

An empty plain.

Franz is also somewhat blind,

though he hasnt lost his sight.

He stumbles around in the dark,

bumping into things and people.

He doesnt understand them.

Franz?!

Only when he imagines them,

materializes them in his mind,

does he grasp them.

In his own way.

I was just about to go to the park.

I washed my hands three times in a row.

Finally something is happening.

He focuses only on himself.

He examines himself from every angle

like a fly under a microscope.

And he proudly tells us

what he has discovered about himself.

Well...

Hes actually a sweet boy.

He just needs to finally understand

what he really wants.

And then well be able to laugh

about his antics.

The dragonflies rested at our feet.

Their wings gleaming in the sun,

as far as possible from the hot wall.

Did they take us for flowers or for rocks?

Above us the road wound upward,

covered in chalky dust,

bleached white by the sun. Heavy clusters

hung toward us,

and the coolness from the vineyard,

like a woman, tempted us persistently.

Not bad.

- I wrote it for you.

- Seriously?

The best of the twentyone

Ill publish with Fleischel in Berlin.

Youve already published a successful novel.

You write poems and articles.

And have you finally finished something?

- No.

- Of course you have.

Show me.

You dont have to read it.

So should I, or shouldnt I?

Its nonsense.

You must admit it is.

Wait You want me

to read your text

and declare it nonsense.

Is that right?

You dont have to read it.

Franz,

no one can describe

a pile of nonsense as beautifully as you.

- Maybe we should stop.

- Keep the pace until Vyehrad.

Its a special apparatus, said the officer

to the travelling explorer

- and he looked

- Franz?

Speak louder. Louder.

And he looked with a certain astonishment

at the device he already knew. It seemed

that he had accepted the commandants

invitation only out of politeness,

when he was asked to attend

the execution of a soldier

sentenced for insubordination

and insulting a superior.

I dont know whether anyone has already

explained the workings of the apparatus to you.

It was invented by our

previous commandant.

The entire penal colonys system

is his creation. Have you heard of him?

The apparatus consists of three parts.

The lower part is the bed,

the upper part is the designer,

- and the moving part is the harrow.

- What did this man do?

He slept on duty.

He was required to get up

at every strike of the clock

and salute at the captains door.

Not a difficult task,

but a necessary one.

And the punishment?

Light.

The text of the order he failed to obey,

the machine will write it on his back.

- Does he know the sentence?

- Theres no need.

Hell experience it on his own skin.

Damn it!

- Step back, please.

- Its the new commandants fault.

The machine looked like a pigsty.

And I explained to them for hours

that the day before an execution

the condemned must not be given

anything to eat.

- The long needle

writes, and from the short one water spurts,

so the inscription

is clear.

After two hours the felt wedge

is removed,

because the condemned

no longer has the strength to scream.

I enjoy watching it.

And after that?

Thats all. In the end the harrow

pierces the condemned through

and throws him onto the ground.

In the old days

the whole valley was full of people,

the fanfares sounded,

ladies in hats arrived,

and in front, so they could see everything,

the children sat.

I serve as judge in the penal colony,

despite my young age.

I assisted the former commandant

in criminal matters

and I know the apparatus best.

I am guided by the principle

that guilt must be indisputable.

Other courts dont follow it,

because they rule collectively

and have higher authorities above them.

Here its not like that, or at least

it wasnt under the previous commandant.

May I tell you something

in confidence?

Theyre plotting against me.

I know the new commandant.

I immediately understood what he wanted

to achieve by inviting you.

He wants to hear your opinion.

You might, for example, say:

In our country we have punishments

other than the death penalty, and t*rture

You overestimate my influence.

Im not an expert.

- Will you help me convince the commandant?

- No. I am

opposed to such punishment.

Then its time.

Goodbye.

Let him go!

Lower it.

That was wonderful.

In the darkness of that cursed night,

marked by the devils kisses

At first I was furious. As if

the worst student in the back row

had stood up to lecture me, the teacher.

One wants to silence him,

but the longer the boy spoke,

the clearer it became

that in a single sentence he expressed

what would take me dozens of pages.

I felt disgust

and admiration at once.

If it had been Werfel or Baum,

Id never have spoken to them.

But Franz

you couldnt hate him.

He had the innocent charm

of a martyr.

I dont accept that youre an atheist

because you doubt Gods existence.

Doubt is given by Him.

To reject faith, you must first have it.

Many people lost it

without ever having it.

An anachronism. How could God

invent such a thing?

With His heart.

According to Kierkegaard, doubt

defeats faith, not the other way around.

Kierkegaard is an old bore. He went mad

because the sun doesnt shine for him.

No religion questions

its own God. Lie down.

Doubt is not something

you can nail to a cross.

He means you mustnt confuse

faith with gullibility.

For talk like that a hundred years ago

youd have burned at the stake.

Me myself.

Come on now.

Need help?

The meaning lies in seeking God,

not in finding Him.

Lie on your side.

Indecencies cost extra.

Whats your name?

Roza.

Where are you from?

Listen

This isnt an interrogation.

If you dont want to do this,

I wont give you the money anyway.

Why are you staring at me like that?

Thats nice

Dont stop.

Silence

Should I be silent?

They took my silence away.

Well be late, Franzi.

What are they doing?

Measuring.

Why?

To tear everything down?

Why?

To build a new city here.

As beautiful as Paris.

And where will we live?

Only Czechs will live in Prague.

Why?

No one here wants Germans or Jews.

Papa wont allow that. Ill tell him.

And Ill tell him what you say about him

when you think no one hears you.

You cant.

Good morning. Youve reached

the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague.

To select English,

say one.

To select German zwei,

to select Japanese san.

One.

Thank you.

To order tickets, say ticket.

To buy souvenirs,

say souvenir. If you want

to meet Kafka in person,

say Franz.

What happened?

Ive thought it over, and to start

we wont give Trees, but Torments.

Well give Children on the Road.

Childish text. I crossed it out.

Max?

Franz, Felice. Felice, Franz.

Are you the genius

weve been waiting for?

No Hell come later.

Im Maxs cousin.

Second cousin.

Shes going to visit relatives in Hungary

and luckily found a day for me.

We rarely see each other.

I heard youre publishing

a book together.

Its really an experiment.

What are you writing about?

Franz is a writer

who prefers silence.

I, on the other hand,

talk too much.

Maybe if you dont stop,

youll manage

to wake him up.

May I?

Yes.

Have you read Herzl?

Superficially.

Our Kafka avoids anything

that even slightly smells of synagogue.

Im learning a bit of Hebrew.

Me too. For three years. Seriously.

The past is the road

to the future.

Your a bit is worth more

than my seriously.

Herzl explains very clearly

why people hate Jews.

Really?

All because

we dont have our own state.

A state is identity.

And a nation without identity

is always a problem.

Listen carefully. In Berlin

theyre more progressive than here.

For heavens sake! What was that?

Here we solve the Jewish problem

by demolishing half the city.

Rebuilding the ghetto will make Prague

a little jewel. Franz is oldfashioned.

On the contrary. Let not one stone

remain upon another.

Why?

Maybe then

Ill find the strength to leave.

He worked on Meditations for two years

and couldnt finish.

When he met Felice,

he caught the wind in his sails.

In a few months he wrote The Judgment,

The Stoker, and then began

work on The Metamorphosis.

Suddenly he was able to turn

his doubts into words.

There are only two sins

from which all others arise:

impatience and indifference.

Through impatience

people were driven from paradise,

and indifference ensures

they never return.

Did God tell you that?

No.

He knows there is only one sin:

impatience.

Through it we were expelled,

and through it we do not return to paradise.

Thats very interesting.

He kept writing to her.

In the first year,

two, three letters a day.

Her mother pretended

to be annoyed by the relationship,

but deep down

I think she was pleased.

A Prague clerk was a good match

for a poor girl from Berlin.

Felice repeated wisdoms from books,

and Franz fell for it.

I have it.

I copied it back then

from Franzs diary. Out of jealousy.

When I saw her for the first time,

she looked like a maid.

With a bony, empty face

betraying her superficiality.

Her neck exposed,

a blouse with a raised collar.

A crooked nose, as if broken.

Dark, stiff, nondescript hair

and a strongly receding chin.

He described her so precisely

Only later did I understand

that it was a declaration of love.

Lets empty the storage room

behind the shop and start selling

textiles for work clothes.

Excellent idea.

Work clothes are the future.

A business like that is like

a steam locomotive.

If you dont keep shovelling coal

into the boiler, you stand still.

Hows our factory doing?

Franzi?

We have new buyers for asbestos

from eastern Bohemia.

Boy, its time you took over

the family business.

Asbestos is the future.

Could you show at least

a little interest?

Do it for me.

Say something.

Hes asleep!

Im engaged to Felice.

Really?

Little brother knows how to surprise.

In summer Ill ask Felices father

for her hand,

and we can marry in the autumn.

How peculiar

I dont recall you asking

for my permission.

Its Franzs decision.

Is it really?

I think it concerns the whole family.

The girl is as poor

as a church mouse.

Felice works hard

and has her own money.

And?

How much can a woman earn?

Well rent a flat in Berlin.

Wonderful idea.

You dont have time

to help in the factory.

Your work is slipping.

But at night you sit up

scribbling your nonsense.

Father doesnt think so.

If you want to burn yourself, go ahead.

Youve disappointed me so many times

that one more makes no difference.

Marry her.

Give her a few brats.

Ill behave

like a proper grandfather.

Why didnt you tell me?

You wouldve tried to talk me out of it.

Thats true.

Brotherinlaw, welcome

to the yoke of marriage.

Soon youll see how gladly

youll go to the factory.

Franz

He didnt want to visit her at all.

He was afraid of Felice.

He loved her only on paper.

There she was perfect.

Physically and mentally.

But whenever

they met, he got

a terrible migraine.

Mr. Kafka?!

Second floor.

Franz?!

-The movers are here.

-At last.

Well see how long the gentleman

lasts without servants.

I bet before Sunday

youll come back with your tail tucked.

Well see

Remember,

we sit down to dinner at eight.

And dress properly.

I can manage on my own.

-Now we tighten it.

-Okay.

Wait

Thank you.

Finally, some quiet.

Please dont stop.

Another group is right behind us.

Here we see

Kafkas room and desk,

where he wrote most of his

letters and masterpieces.

There are over 11,000 letters here.

Thats the hypothetical number

he might have written

-over 25 years of creative work.

-He didnt use a typewriter?

He only used a pen.

That was his rule.

He wrote one to three letters

a day. The character count

would fit into four emails

or a dozen tweets.

From todays perspective,

youd call him sociable.

And the fact that he preferred letters

to meeting in person

makes him perfectly tailored

for the third millennium.

With letters he announces his arrival

and initiates a fictional

and imagined movement.

Sending the letter, its journey,

and the postmans actions

replace the meeting.

A Kafkaesque love story:

a man falls in love

with a woman he saw once.

He writes letters but never visits.

The day after they break up,

when he gets the last letter,

he slaps the postman.

Blind man, spin around.

Catch us if you can!

Smile!

Blind man, spin around.

Catch us if you can.

Franz, where am I?

Youll never find me.

Where am I?

Franz, find me.

Where could I be?

Look for me.

Elli!

Vali!

Elli!

Vali!

Where does all this vermin come from?

The parlograph consists of a cylinder

coated in wax,

a needle, and an electric drive.

It records the speakers voice.

Incredible. Imagine

what possibilities that opens.

I cant write you a letter,

so I dictate a message.

You dont have time to listen,

so a typewriter

connected to the parlograph

writes it down and leaves it on your desk.

Or before going to sleep

you can listen to my voice.

You could connect

everyone to everyone.

-Maybe one day itll be like that.

-It will.

Dont you want to ask

how my trip was?

Forgive me. Im an idiot.

How was your trip, my love?

Maybe I shouldve gone straight

to Berlin, as you suggested.

I just thought going via Prague

was out of your way.

Franz?

Were engaged. Coming to you

is not out of my way.

You dont even know

how happy I am.

My parents want you to ask

for my hand in Berlin.

They cant afford

to travel to Prague.

I found a few hotels

on the outskirts,

hopefully within

your parents budget.

-Did you get a copy of Meditations?

-Yes.

I sent a thankyou letter.

Of course. You wrote

that you thanked me.

-Are you angry with me?

-Me?

No Why would I be angry?

Apparently theyve already sold

ten copies.

I bought nine of them myself.

I wonder who has the tenth.

Franz?

Felice?

Im convinced

youll enjoy your stay with us.

A return to nature.

Thats the motto

we all follow here.

We want to restore our guests joy

in being close to nature.

And to their own bodies.

I assume thats why

you chose Jungborn.

Im getting married soon.

Congratulations.

But unfortunately Im reserved

when it comes to the body.

In that case, youve come

to the perfect place.

Dont be afraid.

Our sanatorium will change you

for the better.

One, two,

one two

Into tabletop position!

One, two

-Can I help you?

-Mr. Kafka?

This way. First floor.

-Im looking for Dr. Kafka.

-Hes there.

Everything all right?

Perfectly. Havent you heard

of Jorgen Mueller?

-No. Should I have?

-These exercises are good

for circulation

-and help with headaches.

-So do doctors.

They profit from illness.

Why would they cure it?

Felice said

youre a thinker.

-Felice?

-I didnt introduce myself.

Grete Bloch, Im here for

the phonograph fair. Felice asked

-me to talk to you.

-To me? About what?

About you, of course.

Shall we?

-Naturally.

-Good.

-You really wont order anything?

-I avoid sweets.

I hear youre

also a vegetarian.

-Do you mind?

-No.

Anthroposophy teaches

that animals have souls.

In a sense, I avoid cannibalism.

Felice fears she offended you.

Why didnt she write that to me?

I dont know another woman

so perfectly suited

to a famous writer.

You must be mistaking me

for someone else.

-Ive read your prose, doctor.

-I prefer Franz.

In our companys studio we record

a great many titles:

Doeblin, Dostoevsky, Mann

Kafkas texts

would be an honour for us.

You exaggerate.

-I cried at your Requiem.

-Rilke wrote that.

Im sorry.

Would you go to the cinema with me?

You dont like it?

Quite the opposite.

They look like Felices parents.

Nonsense.

What a scandalous idea.

A few years later Grete

suggested in a letter

that Kafka might be

the father of her child.

Franz? Absurd.

She wrote that in 1914

she gave birth to a boy

and named him

Marcel.

Martin.

His name was Martin.

If you say so, darling

They corresponded,

thats indisputable,

but that he ever touched her.

Unthinkable.

Quick!

Youre lucky its rude

to beat a guest.

Why didnt you get married?

And why should I get married?

Look around.

This beauty, perfection, harmony

Should I ruin it with something

as imperfect as marriage?

Franz, dont listen to me.

Marriage is normal.

If everyone thought like I do,

humanity would die out.

Maybe thatd be for the best.

Come. Ill show you something.

Hop in.

With some life. You dont want

your smalltown uncle outrunning you.

Come on.

Whats this?

Go in.

Sit down.

Fifteen hundred revolutions

per minute.

Planning to open a t*rture chamber?

I want to fix peoples teeth.

I dont know why, but in Bohemia

everything breaks faster.

But the key is the principle

behind this device.

A little pain helps you avoid

great suffering.

Marriage works the same way.

And what about harmony?

Its not easy being alone.

I know something about that.

Now lets see how youre doing.

Open your mouth.

-Good morning, sir.

-Good morning.

Dont stick your hand out.

Good. Like a frog.

Franz?

Come on, sailor.

Youll see together

well manage.

Today youll swim alone.

Youre skinny as a stray mutt.

You need to eat more meat.

Otherwise the girls

will only look at me.

Yes

Good.

Hello. Sorry,

my hands are wet.

-Remember how to tie yourself?

-He doesnt need that anymore.

He only tried the deep water

three times.

And thats enough. No one held me

on a pole, and I swim like a fish.

Franzi, show them

youre my son.

No! Please, no!

No!

No

Hell be fine.

Follow me.

The local chronicle tells us

that between 1900 and 1917

Kafka visited the baths

in ernoice

up to ten times during

the summer months.

He was a good swimmer.

He always sunbathed

in the same spot.

Right here.

Why?

To this day,

it remains a mystery.

If anyone wants to try

the spot themselves,

they can buy a disposable towel

from me for 2 euros.

Dearest Grete, I think of you

every single day.

With your arrival, a gulf opened

between Felice and me,

one Id never known. I long for sleep

as much as I long to see you.

And then that twist at the end.

Ive never read anything like it.

-In that moment I hated you.

-Im sorry.

I wondered how you could

do that to me. And whod want

to read it?

When Georg finally jumped

into the river, as his father ordered,

I yelled.

-Seriously?

-Yes! For Gods sake!

-I shouted it.

-Hes blind.

Margarete had to calm me down

and read it several more times,

-until I understood.

-Understood what?

-That Georg is guilty.

-So the ending was justified?

Hes guilty because he does

everything the right way.

He behaves well, and thats

what makes him guilty.

Like all of us.

Either way, I think

The Judgment is the best thing

youve ever written.

And this colour?

Beautiful. It suits your eyes.

Petr doesnt like silk.

And why not?

He doesnt like that insects

produce it.

But milk doesnt bother him,

though cows produce that?

Tell him its chiffon.

He wont know the difference.

Two metres, please.

Of course.

I buried two little sons.

Thats why Franz must endure

my worries and Hermanns.

Sometimes I imagine

what it would be like if my little boys

were still alive.

Franz would have playmates.

Hed have learned to fight

and wrestle,

like other boys his age.

He might even have become

a writer.

Could it be ten centimetres more?

All right.

How can you be such an idiot?!

You accepted a promissory note

for that amount without a guarantor?

-It looked real.

-Its a worthless scrap.

-Who gave it to you?!

-Well, actually

-What did he look like?!

-He said he was from Linz.

-From Linz?

-Yes.

Do you know what your stupidity

will cost me?!

-Maybe the bank will honour it?

-Do I look like a swindler?!

-No.

-What happened?

Out!

I think marriage

will do him good.

Thank you.

Dont pity me.

I dont want meat.

Then give it here.

Ill make the sacrifice.

Hermann?

No, thank you.

A telegram came from Felice.

She booked a room at Askanischer Hof.

The KielBerlin trains run

every morning.

-We can sync it with Aunties return.

-True.

Youre not going?

Someone has to stay in the shop.

Ottlas right.

Its better this way.

Can you swallow at last?

Do it for me.

Thorough chewing

supports digestion.

That why you spend hours

in the lavatory?

Hermann, were eating.

But its true!

Im already curious about the order

in your new household.

If Felice

werent already such a saint,

Id bet

shed end up a martyr.

Franz will be a good husband.

Someone like you.

Jesus, she cried, covering

her face with her apron.

But he was already gone.

He shot out of the gate

and dashed across the street

toward the water.

He grabbed the railing at once,

like a hungry man grabbing food.

He swung over it

like a skilled gymnast,

which, to his parents pride,

he once had been.

He still held on

with weakening hands,

when between the bars he saw

an omnibus that would drown out

the sound of his fall. He whispered:

Dear parents,

I always loved you. And he fell.

At that moment an endless line

of vehicles crossed the bridge.

-Will you show him?

-No.

Id rather not.

Thank you for dinner.

Dont write all night again.

Franz?!

All right.

He published a novel.

Its only a novella.

Wonderful news.

Congratulations.

Father?

In Vienna you can bet

whether the w*r will start

already this autumn.

God, protect us from w*r.

Put it on my nightstand.

THE VERDICI want to choose

some furniture this week.

As you wish.

Something light. The flat is

on the ground floor. Maybe rattan?

What do you think of Biedermeier?

More comfortable than modern pieces.

I havent thought about it yet.

And wallpaper?

Franz?

-Franz?

-Yes?

For the kitchen Id choose

darker tones.

Maybe ochre with a few

splashes of red.

But the bedroom and hallway

should be lighter.

And the childrens room

Id like to paint white.

Its the happiest colour

for a child.

Erna?

I thought you were arriving

this evening!

I couldnt wait any longer,

little sister.

I was so excited

to see you.

-You look lovely.

-Really?

Gorgeous.

Franz, look

Ladies

Im glad I wasnt

there for that.

Miss Bloch must have wanted

to return Franzs letters

and left them

in his room. Felice

found them by accident.

Franz was afraid

hed be shut in the flat

with a woman hed imagined

for months only in his mind.

There is, however, a difference

between dreams and reality.

Franz gave her those letters himself.

Im sure of it.

She had a right to know

what he truly thought of her.

I couldnt let her marry someone

who wrote to another woman

about her the way Franz

wrote to me.

Felice?

Your parents are waiting.

What happened?

Arent you ashamed?

I dont understand

He doesnt understand. He wants

to marry my sister,

but he desires another.

-Erna

-Dont write to me again.

Can you explain this to me?

You had a headache.

You couldnt sleep.

And then you started writing

to my best friend?

Because my letters bore you?

My silly chatter

about wallpaper and furniture?

Am I just a foolish little creature,

groveling

before the great thinker?

Is that it?

Is that why I deserved

your mockery?

Tell her, please,

that we never thought that.

-That that wasnt our intention.

-Who would believe it?

-Erna, we already know your opinion.

-Please believe me.

Ill be happiest of all

if Franz marries you.

In your place,

Id slap her.

I should.

But I dont have time to look

for a new best friend.

Or a new fianc.

You said your parents

were waiting for us?

Erna

I wouldnt forgive him.

Its quite a distance.

-How long was the trip from Prague?

-We came today from Kiel.

We visited family there.

At last! Wed almost run out

of things to talk about.

-Wheres Grete?

-She felt unwell.

-We were late because of

-My hair. Sorry.

Franz?

Dear parents, beloved relatives,

friends

My dearest Felice

We invited you here today

to share joyful news:

that soon our engagement

will come to an end.

Alleluia!

Its no secret

that I made Felice wait too long,

and in doing so, hurt her.

Not only her.

The reason for this delay was,

as my father would put it,

-my indecisive nature.

-More like unbearable.

True.

Thats why I trust my decision

will bring you relief.

I made it with the deepest

conviction

that in this situation

it is the only right step.

Raise your glasses

and drink with me

to the breaking of our engagement.

Someone like me

does not deserve

a wonderful being like you, Felice.

I hope you can forgive me.

Felice

Were leaving.

Adolf Meier recently replaced

the term melancholia

with depression. From Latin

depressio to press down.

Please spit.

Its about fear

that crushes you.

Freud would shout that behind

whats happening to Franz

stands Hermann and their whole

family circus. Open, please.

But I think he wanted it himself.

He chose it.

Like when you walk into darkness

and wait for your eyes to adjust.

-Itll be better for everyone.

-You shouldnt be glad

-that youre going to w*r.

-They say itll be over by winter.

The boys right. Discipline

never hurt anyone.

Write to us.

Franz?

That fool in long johns,

who keeps tossing

and turning in bed

Thats me. Right?

Did you read The Judgment?

Write to us.

Franz?

Behave like a man out there.

Dont bring shame on us.

Eyes blue.

Fit for service.

Next!

Height?

Weight?

-Age?

-Eyes?

-Grey.

To the left.

Fit for service.

Next!

They cut short

my beautiful hair.

It fell to my knees,

like under a scythes blade.

My mother and my beloved

burst into sobs.

Or was it the other way around?

Maybe it was Franz

who left his father?

All his life he remained a boy

who forbade himself to complain.

Suffering...

as a new point of view.

Typical of him.

Sorry... Elsa, my wife.

Tomorrow well try

to leave the country.

The prospect of death was

tempting to him. He felt

hed failed as a son,

a man and a writer.

He decided to succeed

as a victim.

These publications analyse Kafkas

work from the perspectives of:

religion, philosophy,

philology

and semantics. Walter Benjamin,

Albert Camus, Hannah Arendt,

Foucault, Blanchot, Adorno, Derrida

and our Milan Kundera.

Here are the biographies.

And here you can see the works

Kafkas friend Max Brod

transported from Europe

to Palestine in 1939.

The whole world is grateful

he didnt fulfil Kafkas last wish.

-Miros, stand up! What are you doing?

-Thank you.

Also for not burning

all the manuscripts.

One more thing thats easy

to remember. The ratio of words

Kafka wrote

to words written about Kafka

is one to ten million.

Not bad, right?

Good morning.

My name is Kafka.

Im his father.

I want to speak to the director.

Kafka?!

Kafka?!

-Reporting!

-Pack your things!

-Youre leaving the barracks tonight.

-Sir?

Move!

You have no right. I enlisted

to defend the monarchy

and the emperors honour.

Theres little I can do.

-I was drafted.

-And now youre undrafted.

Why?

Any idiot can load

cannons, but a good department head

Id search for for years.

-Our company needs you.

-Ill enlist again.

Thats your business. But as long

as Im director

of this office, youll serve

the monarchy here.

And I assure you, the w*r will

find you here. Like all of us.

Ill resign from the Insurance Office.

Death wont make you a hero.

But not fearing it is the first

step toward enlightenment.

Nonsense.

If you werent alive, wouldnt you

miss all this?

Prague is like a lover with claws.

Once she grabs you, she never lets go.

Take off your coat. Its warm here.

Who lives here?

I rented this flat.

This is my Josef.

Otylka talks about you constantly.

-Yours?

-Josef also works in insurance,

-but no one will buy him out of service.

-They released you?

Youre lucky. Bad news is coming

from Galicia.

-Have a seat.

-Are you even Jewish?

What will Father say when he hears

youre running around with a goy?

Hell give us his blessing.

Thats your problem.

You ask endless questions,

but you dont want the answers.

I love Josef.

No one will take him from me.

No one.

Isnt she wonderful?

Franz?

Such silence...

But even the second acquittal

is not final, said K.

and turned his head. Of course not,

the painter replied. Then comes

a third arrest, and so on.

Thats what they call

a socalled apparent acquittal. K was silent.

It seems you dont find it

advantageous, said the painter.

Perhaps postponement of the case

appeals to you more?

Shall I explain how it works?

K nodded. The painter settled

comfortably into his armchair,

slipped his hand under his open

nightshirt and stroked his chest.

Thats Pollack. He always appears

at the perfect moment.

-This is excellent.

-I hope Im not too late.

Thank you.

Summing everything up, as if he wished

to give K. courage for the road

home, he said:

Both methods share this:

they prevent

the accused from being condemned.

They also prevent acquittal,

whispered K., as if ashamed

to have understood it.

Thats all for now.

Wonderful.

-How does it end?

-Its obvious.

The trial was a mistake from the start.

And those fools will be

part of K.s moral victory

over the system.

I see it differently.

You oversimplify.

Meaning?

Trial or not,

everyone becomes responsible.

Perspective, Franz.

Yes... Responsibility.

Perspective and responsibility.

Think about it.

Come here.

Your health, Franz!

Kafkas sister rented this house

at the start of the First World w*r.

Kafka worked here for two years

and finished some masterpieces.

Unfortunately the owners did not

renew the lease.

Look.

The head is 12 metres tall and larger

than the head of the Statue of Liberty.

It consists of 42 rotating panels

and weighs 39 tonnes.

The panels are driven by 21

electric motors.

Its the largest bust

of Kafka in the world.

Franz ate here for half a year

while writing his famous novel

America. As a vegetarian

he believed beef should come

from cows

grazing on mountain meadows.

Want to eat what Kafka ate?

Heres your chance.

The recipe hasnt changed in a century.

-Whos joining?

-Me.

-And fries.

-Of course. Kafka loved potatoes.

Why isnt dinner ready?

Franz?

Could you come here...

Something here...

Without investment the factory

wont survive.

Are you feeling well?

Were selling asbestos now

below value.

I had to tell you.

Im losing my shares too.

I thought

you would tell him.

As his son.

Franz?

No!

I wont eat this.

Im not a dog!

I crossed half the city.

You cant get beef anywhere.

That doesnt mean we have to eat rats!

-Its rabbit.

-Did you see its fur? Well?

No, because it didnt have any.

Its a rat.

-Its a small rabbit.

-Youre going to lecture me?!

Forgive me.

Hermann, were at w*r.

Everything is rationed,

and yet were eating meat.

Were the lucky ones.

Another knowitall. Come here, Franz.

What is it? Rabbit or rat?

A cross between a cat and a sheep.

Very funny.

I have tuberculosis.

Sorry?

What?

To anaesthetise the patient we use

an Ombredanne inhalation mask.

Unfortunately ether is less effective

in patients with pneumonia.

Thats why we combine it with procaine.

Easy. Everything will be fine.

More ether.

Induced pneumothorax causes collapse

of the lung affected by the cavity,

and then scarring.

Sacrificing a patients lung

is a difficult decision for a doctor,

but life matters more.

Patient Kafka was admitted

to a clinic in Vienna

with advancing laryngeal tuberculosis.

Laryngeal nerve anaesthesia

failed. The patient could not

tolerate laryngoscopy.

He refused further procedures.

Palliative therapy

with alcohol injections into the larynx.

Chance of recovery:

no more than five percent.

The doctor says it will strengthen you.

At least try.

Ill stop eating meat

instead of you.

Agreed? Then everything balances out.

-Ill take your suitcase to the hotel.

-I have an appointment.

Please Im the cheapest here.

Wait, please!

-Give back the suitcase. I have to go.

-Dont be afraid. Im excellent.

This is absurd.

If I dont translate your works,

someone else might butcher them.

Madame Milena?

You dont remember?

We met in Arco.

-You wore those colourful shawls.

-And now I carry suitcases.

Do you speak Czech?

I write in German,

but Czech is close to me.

-Please.

-What is it?

A translation of the first pages

of The Stoker. I asked Brod

to choose the best Germanlanguage

writers in Prague.

-Do you know what he sent me?

-Max exaggerates as always.

His own books. And The Stoker

and In the Penal Colony.

Ill translate your texts

even if you dont agree.

Mrs Milena?

One shouldnt steal flowers

from a cemetery.

One shouldnt put them there either.

They go to waste on those

who wont appreciate them.

And I love flowers.

And I want this place to feel nice.

-Wont you undress?

-Me?

Youre soaked through.

Youll catch a cold.

-Your husband is my friend.

-You see? We have a lot in common.

Dont worry.

He wont come here.

He has his pursuits,

which I dont need to know about.

Marriage is

a complicated and murky institution.

Who is your favourite

Czech writer?

One name.

Mrs Pollakova

Just one name.

Im no great expert.

Please try.

Do good for the devil,

and hell repay you with hell.

Thats how the world works.

One leaves, another arrives.

Nmcov. You see?

We agree again.

She combines the poetry of Czech

with the force of the German verb

at the end of the sentence. Thats how

she creates a new style.

You are incredibly inspiring.

And you have beautiful hands.

More like lazy ones.

Youre too harsh on them.

Did you know that before death

fingerprints disappear?

Really? Why?

So a person can be recognised

in heaven.

And how will they recognise us in hell?

For Franz, the sexual act was

a punishment for happiness.

Until he met Milena.

Both Felice and Franz

lacked experience.

But Milena was attractive

and extraordinarily intelligent.

Even I believed for a moment

that she might stop Franzs illness.

Josef?

-Where are the girls?

-At my parents.

Did you file the petition?

Otylka, we dont have to divorce.

We can wait.

-It was your idea.

-I know.

I thought it would be best

for everyone. For the girls.

And it will be.

It cant last long.

Then Ill make it up to you.

Are you tired?

Did you think I was?

No.

Youll be my therapy.

A retired clerk suffering

from tuberculosis and migraines,

obsessively convinced

he cannot live without writing,

asks a young, healthy woman

to ruin her life with him.

Youve never said so much

in one breath.

Come with me to Prague.

Well choose the furniture

and wallpaper for the dining room.

Sorry.

Its all right.

What is it to be?

Sir?

I want to send a telegram to Vienna.

Dear Milena, unfortunately

I wont come today.

Why?

Its too much for me.

Maybe remove the polite greeting

and that part?

Everyone will understand anyway.

Of course.

Here one quickly realises

the value of a single word.

Well write:

I wont come?

I wont come.

Giddyup!

Giddyup!

Hyah, giddyup!

Dear Doctor, dear Max.

I dont know what to do.

Im in despair.

Is it my fault, or not?

Only please

no consolations or assurances

that no one is to blame.

If I had gone with him

to Prague then,

I would have given him a chance

to live.

But I

I wasnt able to leave my husband.

If it is true

that everyone on earth has some role

to play,

I have played mine

disastrously.

Thank you.

Guests get up at seven.

Breakfast is served on the terrace,

lunch is at 1 p.m.

We eat dinner together at 7:30.

Therapeutic treatments run

throughout the day.

After afternoon tea

we recommend spending time outdoors.

Your room will be ready soon.

If you need anything,

just ring the bell.

Excuse me.

I have to irradiate my ulcers

twice a day for half an hour.

Does that interest you?

The lens focuses the suns rays

on the window

and reflects them so they go

straight into the throat. Like this.

Would you like to try?

No, thank you.

Are you new here?

What did they prescribe for you?

Sun baths? Cold air?

Rinses, inhalations?

Meat.

Youre a joker.

A month ago I was healthy as an ox.

And now they feed me porridge.

Dont worry, my friend.

Itll go faster than you think.

-May I?

-Of course.

The doctor

owed me 190 crowns for rent,

another 12 for electricity

and 7 for gas.

-Keep the change.

-Thank you, sir.

What now?

Please wait outside.

We have other customers too.

Out!

Go to hell!

You may begin when

youre ready.

Perhaps no writer of the 20th century

influenced thinking

and writing more deeply

than Franz Kafka.

Why?

I think no one really knows.

And in your opinion?

Kafkas work is locked

and he took the key with him.

We dont know.

Exactly.

Do you have a lighter?

-Got matches?

-No.

-Matches?

-I dont have any.

Matches?

-Hes coming toward us.

-Say nothing.

Leave it to me.

-Do you have matches?

-Sure.

Men know about the things

that matter.

As for everything else,

thats our domain.

Thank you.

Please keep them.

Lets go.

NO JEWS ALLOWED

A little bird flew out

of the neighbours chimney.

It hopped a few times

on the edge

of the chimney, looked around,

spread its wings and flew away.

It wasnt an ordinary bird.

It couldnt be,

since it flew out of a chimney.

From a firstfloor window

a little girl looked out,

saw the bird and called:

There it goes.

To order tickets, say ticket.

To buy souvenirs,

say souvenir. If you want

to meet Kafka in person,

-say: "Franz".

-Franz.

Cold and harsh is this day.

Cold and harsh is this day.

Frost grips the clouds,

the wind, the wind is howling.

People freeze,

their footsteps

on the cobblestones metallically

resound,

and eyes make out

vast white lakes.

Vast white lakes.