Franz

Franz is a 2025 biographical drama film directed by Agnieszka Holland, who co-wrote the screenplay with Marek Epstein. A co-production between the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland, the film is in German and Czech and runs 127 minutes.

Idan Weiss stars as writer Franz Kafka. Set in Prague at the turn of the 20th century, the story traces Kafka's life from his youth to his premature death in 1924. Kafka is caught between the rigid expectations of his father Hermann (Peter Kurth), the monotonous routine of his job at an insurance company, and his urge to write. As his texts finally begin to find acceptance, he repeatedly experiences intense relationships with women, confronting the tension between intimacy and withdrawal. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2025 and was selected as Poland's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, though it was not nominated. It received 15 nominations at the 2026 Český lev awards.