MIDPOINT Series Launch
Kafka
Kafka must prove his innocence of ritual murder as anti-Semitic hysteria grips 1908 Prague.
Kafka wakes with no memory and bloodstains. Two children missing, one ritually murdered. As Prague's prime suspect amid anti-Semitic riots, he must navigate the underground to prove his innocence and save the surviving girl.
Main production country: Czechia
Screenwiter's note
The themes in KAFKA - antisemitism, authoritarianism, worker exploitation and persecution of vulnerable communities - resonate today. Focusing on ritual murder accusations against Jews, the series reflects historical dangers and their disturbing resurgence in contemporary politics.
We target young adults (18-35) to show what it feels like being a hated minority hunted by society. Witnessing Franz transform from comfortable bourgeois to despised outsider, viewers viscerally experience how quickly anyone becomes "the other" - fostering empathy while illustrating dangerous scapegoating and political manipulation.
The series creates a fast-paced mystery thriller engaging audiences with serious topics without preaching. Like Squid Game, it delivers social critique through compelling storytelling, offering entertainment and urgent commentary that can shape democratic societies' future.
Franz Kafka, alienated from his Jewish roots and broader society, becomes a symbolic figure whose struggle with identity and resistance to false accusations reflects marginalized communities' experience. His existential anxieties mirror those grappling with survival amid systemic hatred.
This thriller exposes prejudice's corrosive effects and society's lengths to preserve "the other" as something to destroy. It serves as entertainment and reminder that unchecked hatred - rooted in ignorance, fear or opportunism - has devastating consequences.
Subjects:
absurd, individual vs society, hatred, violence, revenge, alienation, historical personas
Rasťo Šesták (1975) studied theatre directing and has been working as a producer since the founding of DNA Production. He is also a member of the respected European Producers Club. The first production that opened doors for the company to Slovak and Czech television networks was the documentary series "The Greatest Criminal Cases of Slovakia.“ This was followed by series such as "City of Shadows,“ whose Czech version, "Kriminálka Anděl,“ launched the phenomenon of crime series on Czech television. As a producer, Rasťo Šesták has several awards to his name, including three Czech Lions, two Sun in the Net awards, and a special jury recognition from Igric for his creative and exceptionally demanding contribution to the production of the film "The Report,“ taking into account the mini-series "The Actor.“
Jakub Režný (1981) holds an MA in dramaturgy from the Janáček Academy of Arts Brno and works as a screenwriter, story editor and director. He is an experienced writer and story editor of scripted as well as documentary formats for cinema and television. In his work, he specialises in projects, which draw on historical facts and research. In theatre, he has worked on many experimental stagings between the visual arts and theatre, amongst others as a dramaturgical advisor with director Robert Wilson at the NaNonal Theatre in Prague. He lives in Prague.