Oscar-nominated director Agnieszka Holland has released the first trailer and promotional stills from her upcoming biopic Franz, a Czech-German-Polish co-production that explores the life and inner world of author Franz Kafka, from this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film, which was shot in Prague last year, is set to premiere in Czech cinemas on September 25, 2025.
Led by German actor Idan Weiss in the title role, Franz promises a richly atmospheric portrait of one of the 20th century’s most influential writers. With dialogue in both German and Czech, the film aims to capture the cultural and linguistic duality of Kafka’s world. The cast features an international ensemble including Jenovéfa Boková, Ivan Trojan, Peter Kurth, and Sandra Korzeniak, among others.
A modern portrait of Kafka in his home city
Largely set and filmed in the Czech capital, Franz returns Kafka to his native Prague with a historically rooted production that emphasizes linguistic authenticity and cultural nuance. According to producer Šárka Cimbalová, the film “aims to faithfully portray Kafka’s personality, work, and the time he lived in,” using period-accurate German and Czech.
Casting a German actor in the lead role was a deliberate choice. Weiss, described by Holland as “a miracle that sometimes happens,” was selected early in the casting process. “We all immediately felt he was the one,” said the director, noting Weiss’s physical resemblance and his resonance with today’s generation.
Holland’s approach resists simple biopic conventions. Her portrayal frames Kafka not as a distant historical figure but as someone whose inner struggles—anxiety, disconnection, and a deep ambivalence toward finality—remain strikingly relevant.
“Kafka was essentially a man of the third millennium,” said Cimbalová. “He’s much closer to today’s generation than to his own.” Holland added, “He preferred writing over face-to-face communication, feared closure, and left things open-ended—traits that feel incredibly modern.”
Pedigree behind and in front of the camera
Holland, a graduate of Prague’s FAMU film school, brings a formidable reputation to Franz. A three-time Oscar nominee, she is known for works that explore the tension between the individual and oppressive systems. Her recent projects include Charlatan, which was submitted as the Czech entry for the Oscars and shortlisted, and Green Border, which won the Special Jury Prize at Venice and was named Best Film by the Polish Film Academy.
Franz continues Holland’s collaboration with Czech producer Šárka Cimbalová, who previously worked with her on Charlatan and Green Border. The film was co-produced with Germany’s X Filme Creative Pool and Poland’s Metro Films, with additional support from Barrandov Studio, Czech Television, and the Czech Audiovisual Fund.
Distribution in Czechia will be handled by Bioscop, with Films Boutique serving as the international sales agent. Plans for an international release have yet to be announced.
The supporting cast draws from a mix of German-speaking and Czech talent, including Josef Trojan, Carol Schuler, Emma Smetana, Jan Budař, and Aaron Friesz. This blend of regional actors further reflects the cross-cultural setting of Kafka’s life in early 20th-century Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In visual tone and narrative style, Franz is expected to blur the lines between realism and introspection. As with many of Holland’s films, the aesthetic resists strict genre classification. While not a direct adaptation of Kafka’s fiction, the film aims to mirror the existential unease that permeates works like The Trial and The Metamorphosis.
Lead photo: Idan Weiss in Franz courtesy Marlene Film Production
