The Puppet Master: The Complete Jiří Trnka

Series Site

"​​The Film Society of Lincoln Center is pleased to present the U.S.’s first complete retrospective of the works of Czech animation master Jiri Trnka (1912-1969). With 18 short and six feature-length animated films, Trnka was rivaled only by Walt Disney Studios in output. Revered as the pioneer of a remarkable new genre of animation that utilized puppets, Trnka conveyed the drama and psychology of his characters through his figures’ body language, expressive lighting, and camera movement. A prolific artist, beloved book illustrator, and author before making his first movie, Trnka had enormous impact on the development of animation in his country, and he inspired the careers of an entire generation of filmmakers around the globe. This essential series includes two new digital restorations and 11 newly translated works directed by Trnka, as well as a two-program sidebar dedicated to Jiri Brdecka, a screenwriter and animation director whose close friendship with Trnka occasioned a number of short- and feature-film collaborations." —FSLC