In this bonus episode of The Screen Podcast, we speak to Agnieszka Holland and Idan Weiss about Kafka biopic Franz, which has been selected by Poland as its Oscars submission.

Weiss, starring in his first ever feature film project, told Screen’s Tim Dams how Holland instructed him to look for inspiration from tennis great Rafael Nadal for how to play the iconic author.

Watch above on video, or listen to below.

“She told me to look at how Rafa Nadal plays tennis,” says Weiss, “because he has the kind of tics during the play, so I tried to watch him to create tics and different movements in the body and stuff like that.”

Holland adds: “About Rafa Nadal it was not only how he has - to me - charming tics but also he has some kind of aura, some sincere goodness, which I’ve seen in Idan’s eyes and I wanted him to be aware of how to use. I didn’t want [Kafta] to be gloomy and depressing and foggy etc. I wanted to bring Kafta into the colour and not imprison him in black and white shadows.”

Weiss is nominated for a European Film Award for Franz, which will be released in the US by Cohen Media Group, and is sold internationally by Films Boutique. It premiered this year in Toronto as a special presentation.

This edition of the Screen Podcast was sponsored by Marlene Film Production.

Screening

As part of our FYC Awards Screening programme, focused on the awards race, Screen  is hosting an online screening of Poland’s Oscar entry Franz  on December 2 from 3pm GMT.

RSVP HERE

The Screen Podcast is produced and hosted by Wendy Mitchell and this episode was edited by Tigrane Minassian. New episodes every other Thursday.

For editorial enquiries about The Screen Podcast, please email matt.mueller@screendaily.com  and indiewendy@gmail.com;  for sponsorship opportunities, please contact scott.benfold@screendaily.com.

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