🎬 “Kafka” (1991) by Steven Soderbergh
As Polish candidate to Oscar, film Kafka, 2025 by Agnieszka Holland, will be premiered soon me and sir William will present this classic film.
In literary and critical usage, being “Kafkaesque” means not merely “strange” or “surreal,” but caught in a world whose logic is twisted, oppressive, and resistant to explanation. Some analysts describe it as “an infusion of apparent contradiction between the individual experience and the collective machinery of power.”
And why call it the most beautiful epithet in English? Because few adjectives so powerfully evoke a profound emotional tone — not only oddity, but existential tension, helplessness in the face of systems, and the simultaneity of hope and frustration. It’s a word that carries both poetry and dread. Many readers and viewers reach for “Kafkaesque” when nothing else suffices to name the uncanny logic of our modern condition.
Why Kafka (1991) is a truly exceptional film?
A bold hybridity of biography and fiction
Steven Soderbergh does not aim for a straightforward “life story.” Instead, he weaves Kafka’s real experiences together with motifs and moods from The Trial, The Castle and his other works — allowing reality and imagination to blur into one.
Atmospheric visual design and cinematography
Much of the film is shot in striking black and white, evoking expressionist cinema, labyrinthine urban spaces, shadowy alleys, and a sense of disquiet. This visual language immerses viewers in a world that feels haunted, unstable, and urgent.
Powerful, restrained performances by Irons and Guinness
Jeremy Irons carries Kafka’s interior tension and ethical uncertainty with subtlety — often through silence, glances, or posture. Alec Guinness, in one of his later roles, anchors the film’s weighty bureaucratic dimension with gravitas.
A tonal range that mirrors Kafka’s own contradictions
The film juxtaposes moments that are quietly strange or darkly humorous with deeply unsettling undercurrents. Soderbergh echoes Kafka’s own tendency to mix the absurd with existential dread, so that the mood often overrides linear narrative logic.
Cult status and enduring fascination
Though Kafka was not a commercial success on release, it has since become a cult film, valued by cinephiles for its daring approach. It’s often compared to works like Brazil and Naked Lunch for its surreal, conspiratorial energy.
See you there!
Paweł
*******
For quick contact join our movie lovers whatsapp group, to get the link please pm me.
******
Organizational info:
We are going to meet in one of those three places please check ideally during the day of the meeting if the location of the event didn't change.
1. Trattoria Venezia, downstairs in pizzeria which is in the same building with hotel. Just enter ask waiter or receptionist about the movie meeting and go downstairs to join us. Please remember that the glass doors to the movie room opens SIDE ways. Please don't push them nor pull. Meeting is for free it will be kind to order something. There is ok beer and coffee and very good pizza. Nevertheless please don't bring your own food and drinks.
2. Cyrki - downstairs in artistic cafe. This place doesn't look very spacious at fist but it has much more space in the basement. They have beer there, good coffee nachos and cakes.
3. Cafe literacka - located in the bookstore, ask bar attender where the movie room is located. They have great cakes and salads, ok beer and sinfully cheap table wine.
******************************************** Paweł is a local city, cultural and food tour guide in Kraków since 2007. Initially his knowledge about Polish films was average. But then when he discover how usefull movies are as educational tools to talk about Poland things have changed. He started to focus more on the important movies about Polish history. Then one day in November 2015 he decided to share it not only during his work as a proffesional tour guide, but also to Couchsurfing community and all culturally hungry people, this time totally for free. Since that day in 2015 Paweł joined academy of Polish films academy, attended as many lectures as possible. Constantly reads about Polish cinema and developed his true passion. At one point Paweł did even screen several Polish low-budget productions inviting people who were involved in production. But it was difficult to find movies like that regularly. If you would like to screen yours movie or movie of your friend, let me know! When after almost 90 years Poland finally got first Oscar, (We have only one small category - foreign language film) Paweł organized screening of "Ida" in cinema twice. In his opinion English subtitles well very much cenzored which ... is the key reason why this movie get oscar. Nevertheless first Paweł's impression about the event was terrible. 60 people in the hall, for many of them it was the first Polish film they will ever see, at least half of them eating chips making huge noice with their plastic packages, one person even open yoghurt, take the spoon and start to eat regular supper... Paweł though that that will be huge failer, those people probably expect an easy entertainment, American style shallow action or comedy film, but... At the end of the screening there was about 2 minutes of total silence... and then huge applause after. Paweł thinks that something very important happened that night and those emotions related made this project very valuable! Each movie is followed by Pawel's or his friend introduction. Sometimes they also screen very rare and almost impossible to find online interviews with director. Off course all materials are with English subtitles. Sometimes screening of the movie is connected with the tour in the museum or around the city if the topic is related. Integration in English & Party
#cinema #arthouse #localcinema #polishmovie #polishcinema #kinastudyjne #film #movie #krakow
You may also like the following events from Good events with Pawel:
Also check out other
Entertainment events in Krakow,
Meetups in Krakow,
Arts events in Krakow.
