Films Boutique Reveals First Sales, First Look Image for Agnieszka Holland’s Franz Kafka Biopic ‘Franz’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed first sales and released the first-look image from Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland’s biopic of the Czech novelist Franz Kafka, “Franz.”
The project has sold to September Film in Benelux, Filmin in Spain, Vertigo in Hungary, MCF Megacom for the former Yugoslavia and Movies Inspired in Italy.
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The film was previously acquired for theatrical distribution by Bac Films Distribution in France, X Verleih in Germany and Austria, Bioscop in Czech Republic and Kino Świat in Poland.
Kafka, a German-speaking Jewish Bohemian famous for surrealist and nightmarish visions, wrote “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial” and “The Castle,” among others.
The film started shooting in Prague on April 12, including the Old Town near Kafka’s birthplace, and will continue there until the end of May, when the production moves for a week’s shoot in Berlin.
Šárka Cimbalová produces through Czech Republic’s Marlene Film Production, with Holland, Kevan van Thompson, Mike Downey and Daniel Bergman serving as executive producers.
The film is made in co-production with Marcin Wierzchoslawski and Alicja Jagodzińska Kalkus through Poland’s Metro Films, Uwe Schott and Jorgo Narjes through Germany’s X-Filme, as well as Barrandov Studio, TVP, Czech Television and Czech Anglo Production. David Grumbach and Alexis Hofmann are on board via Bac Films.
Holland said: “One of the crucial reasons behind my decision to study in Prague back in the ‘60s was that it was Kafka’s city — as he wrote, ‘Prague never lets you go, this dear little mother has sharp claws,’ and my first steps there traced his footsteps.
“At that time, Prague was tourist-free and expressive in appearance: lichen and patina — dirty yellow, ochre — covered the Old Town houses and the synagogues. You can hardly imagine a more mysterious and photogenic film set. This is what I hope we are re-creating today alongside our amazing Czech crew and committed international cast.”
“European cinema needs more challenging biographical stories to keep alive the work and lives of its greatest visionaries,” Cimbalová said. “This is exactly what we have in ‘Franz.’ Agnieszka’s version of Kafka’s life isn’t simply a retelling of the subject’s life, a recap of his greatest hits, with the excision of anything morally complex about his life to make the subject more likeable. This is exactly what we wanted to avoid in this very personal impression of one of literature’s greatest figures, as both hero and anti-hero.”
Idan Weiss stars as Kafka, Jenovéfa Boková as Milena Jesenská, Carol Schuler as Felice Bauer, Peter Kurth as Hermann Kafka, Sebastian Schwarz as Max Brod and Katarina Stark as Ottla Kafka.
The screenplay is by Marek Epstein in collaboration with Holland. Cinematography is by Thomas Naumiuk, the editor is Pavel Hrdlicka, set design is by Henrich Boraros and costume design is by Michaela Horačková Hořejší.
Downey says: “People know the name of Franz Kafka, and the global value of Brand Kafka is incalculable and invaluable. Kafka has maintained his global rock star status for a century now, and it shows little sign of waning. The recognition factor across continents and generations is what is driving the interest of film distributors, broadcasters and streamers worldwide. As one of the very few literary names to enter into common parlance, one of the key strengths of what we are is that its unconventional and non-linear style reaches out to a younger audience which is largely a much more post-modern and aware audience than they are given credit for. And this audience still goes to the cinema.”
Backers of the project include the Czech Film Fund, the Prague Audiovisual Fund, Eurimages and the Czech region of Pilsen as well as Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and the Polish Film Institute. Other funders include ZDF/ARTE, Canal + Poland, DFFF, the Czech Film Tax Incentive, CertiCon and Films Boutique.
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