K (2002 film)

K
Directed byShoja Azari
Written byShoja Azari
Franz Kafka (stories)
Produced byShirin Neshat
StarringOz Phillips
Mohammad Ghaffari
Rick Poli
CinematographyGhasem Ebrahimian
Ben Wolf
Edited bySam Neave
Andrew Sterling
Production
companies
A Parrot Prods. Inc.
The 7th Floor
Release date
  • 2002 (2002)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

K is a 2002 film directed by Iranian American multimedia artist Shoja Azari, based on three short stories by Franz Kafka - "The Married Couple," "In the Penal Colony" and "A Fratricide." - which are all performed by the same group of actors.[1]

Plot summary

The film moves from a salesman’s uneasy visit to an old client in The Married Couple, to a visitor watching an officer describe a punishment device in the story In the Penal Colony, and ends with the nighttime killing of a man and the reaction of those close to him in A Fratricide.

Cast

  • Oz Phillips – Robert / Explorer / Mr. Wese
  • Mohammad Ghaffari – Father / Officer / Schmar
  • Rick Poli – Sales Agent / Victim / Pallas
  • Ann Parker – Mother
  • Hamid Farjad – New Commandant
  • Mitra Ghamsari – Mrs. Wese
  • Shahram Karimi – Soldier [2]

Crew

  • Director/Writer: Shoja Azari
  • Writer: Franz Kafka
  • Executive Producer: Shirin Neshat
  • Cinematography: Ghasem Ebrahimian, Ben Wolf
  • Editing: Sam Neave, Andrew Sterling
  • Production: A Parrot Prods. Inc., in association with The 7th Floor [2]

Production

K began as a 2000 project in which Shoja Azari made three Kafka-based short films. Tirgan states that the film was made during a period of collaboration between Azari and Shirin Neshat. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2002.[3]

Review

Variety wrote that K combines three Kafka-based short films into a feature-length work, noting its black-and-white presentation, recurring cast, and the different pacing of each section. The review mentioned the film’s performances and visuals but described its tone as uneven, adding that its limited commercial potential might be offset by festival exposure. [4]

References

  1. ^ "K". Harvard Film Archive. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "K – Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  3. ^ "Shoja Azari". Tirgan. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  4. ^ "K – Film Review". Variety. 2002. Retrieved March 18, 2026.