“Kafka” is a new German-Austrian television series which centers on the life of Franz Kafka, widely regarded as a major figure in 20th-centrury literature. This is an interview with one of the series producers, David Schalko –– author, director and CEO of production company, Superfllm.
David Rabadi: Hello, David. Thank you for taking time to speak with me. What inspired you to write and direct “Kafka’s”?
David Schalko: Definitely the biographies by Rainer Stach. I hadn’t read anything like that before. Probably the best biographies ever written. And, of course, the life and work of Kafka. Both are extraordinary. I say “both” but, actually, it all belongs together as one.
Why is Franz Kafka so important? Because this kind of literature didn’t exist before Kafka. There is a time before and a time after Kafka. Many of the most important writers of the 20th century wouldn’t have been possible without Kafka.
If Franz Kafka were alive today, what do you think he would say about the series? He would hate it. The idea that anybody could reveal his private life would have been terrifying to him. He would be very irritated that we know so many details about his life.
What have you learned about yourself as a writer and director? Don‘t compromise. Keep your art unspoiled.
What do you think the entertainment industry lacks? Stick to your own way. Sounds like a cliche. But at the end of the day, it is your profession that occupies your days.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your teenage self? Everything I have lived through till now. So, he could make his choices on a better basis.
Who in the entertainment industry has influenced your creativity? David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Jim Jarmusch, Nicolas Roeg, Jean-Luc Godard, Wim Wenders, Ingmar Bergman and many, many more. But none of those would consider himself as part of the entertainment industry.
What is something you always wanted to do but never had a chance to? Flying to the moon. But if I had the chance, I am not so sure I would do it. My creative identity has a lot to do with the things I have to imagine. It comes from a bored childhood. The idea of something is often more interesting than the reality. Especially in the case of the moon. Although it would be worth taking a look at the earth. And to feel the vastness and loneliness of the universe. But we’re already back in the realm of imagination.
What advice do you have for people struggling to make it in entertainment? Become a doctor or a mortician.
Thank you for your time. Any words of wisdom to all the readers? Ask me again in 20 years, please.
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