Cult Animated Films Created Behind the Iron Curtain at Kino Tukanac

Thursday Shorts is a kino Tuskanac program that, as the name states, screens short films from the archives of Croatian National Film Archives. The first Thursday Shorts (January 19th) in 2016 is a delight for anyone that grew up in eastern Europe during communism, and a treasure cove for anyone else interested in animated films.

The films that will be shown were made in between 1957 and 1974, in countries that were behind the iron curtain and feature some of the greatest works the medium has to offer, including one of the most famous animated films of all time, a controversial and banned The Hand by Jiřij Trnke, The Bench by the founder of Russian animation Lev Atamanov, The Machine by Polish animator and master of collage Daniel Szczechura and one episode of the legendary Hungarian cartoon Gusztav by Jozsef Neppa. The pessimistic and grumpy Gusztav is a favorite for many older locals as it was the cartoon that would play on television during half times of football matches. Other films shown are all classics in their own right and a great rundown of schools of animation that shaped great animated films we know today.

The program starts at 8 pm, is free to attend.

 

The films shown are (in order of their screening):

Gustav the Pessimist (Gusztáv a pesszimista), József Nepp, Hungary, 1966, 16mm, 5′
Romance (Romance), Břetislav Pojar, Czechoslovakia, 1962, 16mm, 8’12”
The Bench (Skamejka), Lev Atamanov, SSSR, 1967, 35mm, 10’24”
At Noon (V pravé dopoledne), Zdeněk Smetana, Czechoslovakia, 1964, 35mm, 5′
The Hand (Ruka), Jiři Trnka, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 35mm, 19′
In A Trap (W matni), Stefan Janik, Poland, 1963, 35mm, 8′
Machine (Maszyna), Daniel Szczechura, Poland, 1961, 35mm, 6′
Qou vadis, Rudolf Borošak i Vladimir Hrs,  Yugoslavia, 1974, 35mm, 2’54”
Kalamajka, Hermína Týrlová, Czechoslovakia, 1957, 35mm, 10′