Exclusive US Screening: 'Kafka's Last Trial'

A first look at the film plus access to a discussion with the author of the book that the film is based on.
About this Event

The documentary adaptation of bestseller "Kafka's Last Trial" makes its world premiere at The Marlene Meyerson JCC on the Upper West Side!

In real life, after his death, the fight over Franz Kafka's literary legacy played out in a series of courtrooms in Tel Aviv — in a story seemingly taken out of "The Trial" author's own oeuvre.

It all began after Max Brod, Kafka's friend, decided to go against the legendary writer's dying wish to have his unpublished writings burned. The aftermath spiraled into a curse that crossed countries, centuries and generations.

Acclaimed author Benjamin Balint captured the saga in his book "Kafka's Last Trial," which won the 2020 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. Now that book has been given the cinematic treatment.

Ticket options:

An online ticket, purchased here through Eventbrite, gives you online access to the film for 10 days, to watch on your own time within that period. It also gets you access to a livestream of the discussion with Balint and Peled, which will start at approximately 8:30 pm ET on Dec. 17. You will get instructions on how to view the film and access the livestream in emails after you register.
An in-person ticket gets you a seat at The Marlene Meyerson JCC screening in New York on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. ET. That event will include an in-person live screening of the film, followed by a discussion with Balint and the director of the film, Eliran Peled. Buy in-person tickets here, through the JCC.

About the film:

Produced by: Talia Harris Ram and Eliran Peled / DHA Content & Aldy Pie

Directed by: Eliran Peled

Script by: Talia Harris Ram

Narration Written by: Yotam Knispel

Narrator: Eli Gornshtein

Consulting Producer: Benjamin Balint

Running Time: 72 Minutes

Broadcaster: Kan11

About the team:

Benjamin Balint is a writer and consultant for the film, "Kafka's Last Trial," and author of the book on which the documentary is based. That book won the 2020 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and has been published in more than a dozen languages. He is also the author of "Bruno Schulz: An Artist, a M**der, and the Hijacking of History," which won this year's National Jewish Book Award in biography. Balint, a fellow at the Van Leer Institute, has taught at Dartmouth College and at the Bard College humanities program in Jerusalem.

Eliran Peled is a producer, director and screenwriter. He works in the field of animation, fiction, feature films and documentaries. He has directed 14 short films, and is the creator, producer, and director of the series "The Unimportant" on channel Kan 11 in Israel, which has been nominated for the Israeli Television Academy Awards. Eliran has a BFA in film and business from Tel Aviv University.

Talia Harris Ram is a literary IP rights manager, producer and screenwriter. In 2019, Talia founded the Film & TV Department at Israel’s leading literary agency, The Deborah Harris Agency. Since founding of the department, Talia has sold the rights of 17 literary IPs to production companies and studios in Israel, the United States and France, one of which will soon be premiering as a debut series on Keshet12. As of 2021, Talia is also the freelance rights manager for Israel’s biggest publishing house, Kinneret Zmora Bitan Dvir.