K is a 2002 film directed by Iranian American multimedia artist Shoja Azari, based on three short stories by Franz Kafka - "The Married Couple," "In the Penal Colony" and "A Fratricide." - which are all performed by the same group of actors.
Plot summary The film moves from a salesman’s uneasy visit to an old client in The Married Couple, to a visitor watching an officer describe a punishment device in the story In the Penal Colony, and ends with the nighttime killing of a man and the reaction of those close to him in A Fratricide.
Cast Oz Phillips – Robert / Explorer / Mr. Wese Mohammad Ghaffari – Father / Officer / Schmar Rick Poli – Sales Agent / Victim / Pallas Ann Parker – Mother Hamid Farjad – New Commandant Mitra Ghamsari – Mrs. Wese Shahram Karimi – Soldier
Crew Director/Writer: Shoja Azari Writer: Franz Kafka Executive Producer: Shirin Neshat Cinematography: Ghasem Ebrahimian, Ben Wolf Editing: Sam Neave, Andrew Sterling Production: A Parrot Prods. Inc., in association with The 7th Floor
Production K began as a 2000 project in which Shoja Azari made three Kafka-based short films. Tirgan states that the film was made during a period of collaboration between Azari and Shirin Neshat. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2002.
Review Variety wrote that K combines three Kafka-based short films into a feature-length work, noting its black-and-white presentation, recurring cast, and the different pacing of each section. The review mentioned the film’s performances and visuals but described its tone as uneven, adding that its limited commercial potential might be offset by festival exposure.
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