Play
Produced by Anton Podbevšek Teater and Cankarjev dom
Opening night: December 22 2021
More info: antonpodbevsekteater.si

In November 1919, Franz Kafka wrote a 45-page letter to his father Hermann. In it, 36-year-old Kafka depicted the emotional abuse and disorienting double standards that branded his childhood. The letter makes it clear: family is a rather kafkian affair, an institution in which we all regularly serve as both prisoners and jailers. Nothing alienates people quite as effectively as living with close relatives.

Kafka's father never received the letter. However, in the 55 years since its publication, the letter reached, intrigued, and moved countless readers, countless unintended recipients, countless fathers and sons. It is hard to find a more widely read private correspondence.

In 2021, Anton Podbevšek Teater and Cankarjev dom dispatched Kafka's letter anew by producing Pismo očetu (Letter to His Father), a play based on the letter.

The production features a selection of original piano pieces by Silence, which are performed live on stage by pianist Sašo Vollmaier.

Vollmaier and Silence have collaborated on several occasions. Most notably in 2012, when Vollmaier performed — in tandem with pianist Igor Vićentić — Silence's 4th studio album, Musical Accompaniment for the End of the World.