Author Franz Kafka’s life was far from kafkaesque, biopic shows

Man who emerges from German TV series is a far cry from myth of tortured artist alienated from his family and job

The word “kafkaesque” has come to describe the sensation of powerlessness when dealing with bureaucratic systems; of getting lost in labyrinthine administrative errands, being shut out by faceless officialdom and having your hopes strangled by red tape.

But kafkaesque does not come close to describing the life of the man who lent the term his name, according to an irreverent biopic of the Prague-born author.