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