Glory of Life, The: German Directors Judith Kaufmann and Georg Maas’s Tale of Kafka’s Last Romance

The Glory of Life, is a very un-kafkaesque love story about Franz Kafka and his last romance.

The German-language drama, from directors Judith Kaufmann and Georg Maas, follows the romance between Franz Kafka (Sabin Tambrea) and Dora Diamant (Henriette Confurius) in the final year of the famed writer’s life, before his death from tuberculosis at age 40.

Unlike most adaptations of Kafka’s work–from Orson Welles’s The Trial (1962) to Soderbergh’s Kafka (1991) to The Castle (1997) from Michael Haneke–angst and existential dread are mostly absent from The Glory of Life.

Based on the bestselling novel by Michael Kumpfmüller, the film focuses instead on “the happiest period in Kafka’s life.”

“This widespread interest is a testament to the enduring fascination with Kafka’s extraordinary life and love story,” said TrustNordisk managing director Susan Wendt.