Short Films by Jan Švankmajer

cz
short films
Film / Kino Panorama / 10.7. /

Jan Švankmajer Profile

Short Films

  • The Garden, Czechoslovakia 1968, 16 min

  • The Flat, Czechoslovakia 1968, 13 min

  • The Ossuary, Czechoslovakia 1970, 10 min

  • Down to the Cellar, Czechoslovakia 1983, 15 min

  • Dimensions of Dialogue, Czechoslovakia 1983, 12 min

  • Darkness, Light, Darkness, Czechoslovakia 1989, 6 min

  • Food, Czechoslovakia–United Kingdom 1992, 16 min

Introductory Lecture by Art Curator Helena Musilová.

Jan Švankmajer (*1934 in Prague) is renowned primarily for his film work, which brought his unique perception of the world to a broad audience through more than thirty films of various lengths. Born to a window display designer and a trained seamstress, he received a puppet theatre from his parents at the age of eight, which deepened and solidified his connection to visual art. He studied at the Higher School of Applied Arts in Prague and continued at the Department of Puppetry at DAMU, focusing on directing and set design. He is considered one of the leading figures of late Czech surrealism.

Švankmajer entered the world of film in the 1960s, during the era of the Czech New Wave. His debut film, The Last Trick of Mr. Schwarcewallde and Mr. Edgar, was made in 1964. He then focused on short films, combining puppetry, animation, and live-action elements (Punch and Judy (1966), Historia Naturae (1967), Leonardo’s Diary (1970), etc.). His free work often mirrored cinematic techniques, as in Historia Naturae (1967). He created cycles of graphic prints—mock-scientific illustrations of fantastical flora and fauna—grouped under the title Švankmajersbilderlexikon. This phenomenon was best represented by the Naturalia exhibition held at Museum Kampa (2014/2015).

Švankmajer’s artistic style is difficult to categorize, but it is most often associated with surrealism, influenced in the 1960s by Vratislav Effenberger. His work has influenced both Czech and international artists, including Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, the Brothers Quay, and Shane Acker.

In original versions.