Franz (2025) Movie Script
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 torture
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 torture 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 war will start
already this autumn.
God, protect us from war.
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 war.
-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 war 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 War.
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 war.
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.
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 torture
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 torture 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 war will start
already this autumn.
God, protect us from war.
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 war.
-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 war 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 War.
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 war.
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.