Jiri Trnka Puppet Master Blu-ray Jiří Trnka Second Run Films Old Czech Legends The Czech Year

Epic animation spectacles from the revered master of puppet animation!

Introducing Second Run's 2-Disc Limited Edition Blu-ray for Jiri Trnka: Puppet Master, which includes 1947's The Czech Year and 1953's Old Czech Legends.

Czech artist Jiri Trnka (1912–1969) is the internationally revered master of puppet animation, often dubbed 'the European Walt Disney'. Painter, illustrator, designer, and author of fantastic tales, Trnka came from a family of toymakers and the era of marionette theatre, and in his films created magical worlds with his sets, costumes and puppets. Often borrowing from Czechoslovak folklore while inventing novel techniques in stop-motion cinematography, many of his films use allegory to produce political satire, often evoking the ire of State censors.

This set brings together two of Trnka's most beloved and intricate works - his breathtaking collection of Bohemian myths Old Czech Legends and his hymn to the Czech land, history, and people, The Czech Year.

These epic animation spectacles combine elaborate camera work, design, and puppetry with magical storytelling and casts of delightfully fanciful creations.

Limited Edition Feartures:

• Collector's Slipcase 
• Booklet with writing by experts on Czechoslovak cinema Peter Hames and Jonathan Owen

Special Features:

• 4K restorations of Old Czech Legends (Stare povesti ceske, 1953) and The Czech Year (Spalicek, 1947), completed on behalf of the Czech National Film Archive
• Michael Brooke on Jiri Trnka and Czech animation: A new and expansive video essay
• Introductions to both films
• The Puppets of Jiri Trnka documentary
• Archival Czech newsreels on Trnka
• The Hand (Ruka, 1965): Trnka's renowned animated short film
• Badly Painted Hen (Spatne namalovana slepice, 1963): the acclaimed animated short film by co-writer of Old Czech Legends and regular Trnka collaborator, Jirí Brdecka
• Trailers
  
• New and improved English subtitle translations

Technical Specs:

• Language: Czech
• Year: 1947/1953/1963/1965
• Runtime: 85/80/90
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Subtitles: English (optional)