Czech artist Jiri Trnka (1912–1969) is the internationally revered master of puppet animation. Creator of magical worlds, his films are triumphant experiments in the expressive possibilities of the art form. Often borrowing from Czechoslovak folklore, while inventing new and novel techniques in stop-motion cinematography, his work elevated the puppet film into a vehicle for epic drama and fantastical storytelling.

This set brings together two of Trnka’s most beloved features: his breathtaking collection of Bohemian myths, Old Czech Legends (1953), and his debut, The Czech Year (1947), a hymn to the Czech lands and the shifting seasons. These two groundbreaking animations fuse innovative camera techniques, spellbinding design, and expressive puppetry. Each film is an enchanting example of Trnka’s art, that helped turn post-war Czechoslovakia into a powerhouse of animation.

Updated Special Features:

• Two-disc Limited Slipcase Edition of 2,000 copies.
• Old Czech Legends (Stare povesti ceske, 1953) and The Czech Year (Spalicek, 1947) presented from 4K restorations by the Czech National Film Archive.
• The Puppets of Jiri Trnka: A rare, award-winning 1955 Czech documentary 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-screenwriter of Old Czech Legends and regular Trnka collaborator, Jiri Brdecka.
• A Beginner's Guide to Jiri Trnka
• A Beginner's Guide to Czech Animation
• Booklet with writing by experts on Czechoslovak cinema Peter Hames and Jonathan Owen.
• New and improved English subtitle translations.
• Region free Blu-ray (A/B/C).
• World premieres on Blu-ray.
• **FIRST PRESSING LIMITED EDITION SLIPCASE - strictly limited to 2000 copies**

Jiri Trnka: Puppet Master - Limited Slipcase Edition -PRE-ORDER-10-AUGUST-2026