Franz Kafka is torn between the strict expectations of his father Hermann, his monotonous daily routine at an insurance company, and his deep-rooted urge to write and thus give literary expression to his innermost feelings. He finally receives initial attention, while he continues to try to lead a life between conforming to others, such as his dominant father, and self-realisation. Time and again, Franz experiences intense relationships with women who enchant him to the utmost, inevitably facing the tensions between closeness and withdrawal. Supported by his friend and publisher, the picture emerges of a man searching for his place in the world – between a sense of duty, inner turmoil and creative expression.