We're starting with an introduction to the Czech animation school - these magical worlds are unfortunately not that well known, which I think is a shame.
Plus Renata is into animation and I am Czech so it makes perfect sense.
The first author I would like to present is Jiri Trnka who ironically benefited from the communistic regime - poetic fairy tales were safe topics to produce. Jan Svankmajer is on the other hand pure surrealist and his versions of popular fairy tales are likely to give kids nightmares.
Plus Renata is into animation and I am Czech so it makes perfect sense.
The first author I would like to present is Jiri Trnka who ironically benefited from the communistic regime - poetic fairy tales were safe topics to produce. Jan Svankmajer is on the other hand pure surrealist and his versions of popular fairy tales are likely to give kids nightmares.
Jiri Trnka
Called (arguably) "Walt Disney of Eastern Europe", Jiri Trnka was born in 1912. He was a self-taught wood carver who painted heads of his puppets himself and also learned from his mother who was a dressmaker how to create a costume. He wrote his own scripts and directed the films, too. His children were allowed to his home-based studio to comment and critique his overnight work.Among others, he adapted Shakespeare's play Midsummer Night's Dream, Old Czech Legends or Andersen's The Emperor's Nightingale. Each of his films is different, they are lyrical and do not lack sense of humour, and all of them are worked out to the last detail (puppets in Midsummer Night's Dream have five fingers oppose to usual three) and well thought through.
He died shortly of the Soviet occupation in 1969. His last film Hand (1965) which is an allegory of an artist and the regime was banned.
My favourite is a series Garden about 4 boys, secret garden and one mean stray cat; don't worry about dialogues being in Czech, the short film is very visual.
He died shortly of the Soviet occupation in 1969. His last film Hand (1965) which is an allegory of an artist and the regime was banned.
My favourite is a series Garden about 4 boys, secret garden and one mean stray cat; don't worry about dialogues being in Czech, the short film is very visual.
Jan Svankmajer
Jan Svankmajer was born in 1934 in Prague, where he still lives. Before turning to cinema, he worked in the theater Laterna Magika. In 1964 he produced his first film The Last Trick and in late 60's he joined Surrealist group. His wife Eva, also renown surrealist artist collaborated on several films, including Alice. His unique style full of pitch-black humour and in which human body is perceived as a source of horror has gained reputation and inspired filmmakers as Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam.
In his own words: “For me, animated film is about magic. This is how magic becomes part of daily life, invading daily life.... Magic enters into a quite ordinary contact with mundane things ... (making) reality seem doubtful. ”
Below is passage from his adaptation of our favourite Alice in Wonderland:
In his own words: “For me, animated film is about magic. This is how magic becomes part of daily life, invading daily life.... Magic enters into a quite ordinary contact with mundane things ... (making) reality seem doubtful. ”
Below is passage from his adaptation of our favourite Alice in Wonderland: