The film transports viewers into a world where Kafka’s letters to Milena reveal a side of the writer that is rarely seen in his literary works. Their relationship, marked by geographical distance and Milena’s marriage, is defined by Kafka’s deep emotional connection to her, a love that fills his life with light but also illuminates his inner darkness. "Falling in love is a profoundly intimate experience that's rarely shared with others, and certain aspects of it remain hidden even between lovers and from oneself," says the director Zane Oborenko. "The primary interest and goal of this film was to portray the constant emotional shifts that the human mind undergoes when dealing with strong and complicated emotions – from positive to negative, influenced by fantasy and intruding reality."
Kafka. In Love is brought to life using the painstaking and intricate art of sand animation, a technique that perfectly mirrors the fragile and shifting emotions portrayed in the film. "Sand has a natural texture and organic origin that makes it the perfect medium for expressing the transient illusions and complex feelings we experience when we fall in love," explains Oborenko. Finding the right sand for the animation was a challenge in itself, with the team consulting geologists before finally discovering an ideal type of sand from a dune in Latvia, as well as desert sand from a Prague pet shop. The result is an evocative visual representation of Kafka’s emotional world, where each grain of sand captures the fleeting nature of his thoughts and feelings.
Produced by Sabīne Andersone of Latvia's Atom Art, with co-producers Martin Vandas and Alena Vandasová of Czechia’s Maurfilm, Kafka. In Love marks the latest achievement for both independent studios. "This film took us on a challenging six-year journey, and it was reassuring to undertake it with such reliable, experienced partner as Maurfilm. The animation took place on specially built four specially built sand animation tables on which Zane together with a talented team of animators from Latvia and Czechia patiently created the inner world of Kafka," says producer Sabīne Andersone.
Oborenko, who has developed a distinctive style of sand animation, previously won the Best Short Film Project Award for Kafka. In Love at the CEE Animation Forum in 2019.
"As we mark the 100th anniversary of Kafka’s death, we find ourselves agreeing with literary critics, iconic songwriters, and even youthful TikTok users - Kafka is as relevant today as ever, and it is exciting to discover and bring to the audience less known aspects of his literary legacy," concludes producer Sabīne Andersone.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE FILM:
Creative team:
Director, Art Design Zane Oborenko
Sand animation Zane Oborenko, Līva Piterāne, Pola Kazak, Jan Bohuslav
Composer, sound design Ģirts Bišs
Editing Julie Vinten, Zane Oborenko
Editing Consultant Lucie Kajánková
Production Marcela Vrátilová, Agne Skane, Ieva Zeldere
Producers Sabīne Andersone (Atom Art, LV)
Coproducer Martin Vandas, Alena Vandasová (Maurfilm, CZ)
Creative producer Edmunds Jansons
Presskit: https://www.maurfilm.com//wp-content/uploads/press/KAFKAinLOVE-PressKit.pdf
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/944766351/12401c3c47
Poster: https://www.maurfilm.com//wp-content/uploads/press/KafkaInLove_EN_poster.jpg
Film stills for download: https://www.maurfilm.com//wp-content/uploads/press/Kafka-in-love_Maur-film.zip
Premiere dates:
- National Premiere – Riga International Film Festival, October 23, 2024
- International Premiere – POFF – Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia, November 2024
Festival selections:
- Cinanima International Animated Film Festival, Portugal
- Animateka International Animated Film Festival, Slovenia
