A land surveyor is called to a remote village by the local authorities residing in a mysterious castle. However, upon arrival, he struggles to convince the villagers of his legitimacy and becomes entangled in a web of baffling bureaucracy and local power struggles. What begins as a simple task quickly turns into a surreal, nightmarish ordeal. Originally aired on Austrian television in 1997, this icy adaptation of Kafka’s final, unfinished novel stars Ulrich Mühe (The Lives of Others) and was directed by Palme d’Or winner Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon, Amour).

Join us for a rare big-screen outing of this film, featuring an introductory talk by Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw.

Reviews

‘This was [Haneke’s] dark, spare, austere version of Kafka’s The Castle. It is an eye-opener.’
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘It was just a matter of time before Michael Haneke and Franz Kafka crossed paths.’
Fernando F Croce, Slant Magazine

This screening has kindly been sponsored by the Austrian Cultural Forum, London.