British boutique label Second Run will bring two landmark works by Czech animation pioneer Jiří Trnka to Blu-ray this summer, introducing new audiences to restored versions of Old Czech Legends and The Czech Year. The two-disc, region-free release arrives on July 27, drawing on recent 4K restorations completed by the Czech National Film Archive.
The collection highlights two of Trnka’s most ambitious feature-length puppet films, both central to the international reputation of postwar Czechoslovak animation. Alongside the restored features, the set includes documentaries, archival materials, Trnka’s acclaimed short The Hand, and newly commissioned critical essays examining his legacy.
A legend of Czech animation
Born in Plzeň in 1912, Jiří Trnka remains one of the defining figures of Czech cinema. A painter, illustrator, sculptor, and filmmaker, he helped establish Czechoslovakia as a global center for stop-motion animation during the decades following World War II. His handcrafted puppets, elaborate miniature sets, and distinctive visual style earned him international acclaim, while his films demonstrated that animation could appeal to adult audiences as much as children.
The new Second Run edition focuses on two of his most celebrated feature films, both restored by the National Film Archive to closely recreate their original theatrical appearance.
Released in 1947, The Czech Year was Trnka’s first feature-length puppet film and marked a turning point for Czechoslovak animation. Rather than following a conventional narrative, the film presents a cycle of traditional Czech village customs across the four seasons through six interconnected episodes. Inspired by the folk traditions documented in Mikoláš Aleš’ illustrated collection of national songs, the film depicts Carnival celebrations, spring rituals, pilgrimages, harvest festivities, Christmas traditions, and the Legend of St. Procopius.
The stories unfold almost entirely without spoken dialogue, relying instead on folk songs arranged by composer Václav Trojan and performed by a children’s choir. Although the film initially attracted only modest audiences in Prague, it found enthusiastic reception abroad. Its international festival success, particularly at the Venice International Film Festival, helped establish Czech animation as a major force alongside the work of fellow pioneers Karel Zeman and Hermína Týrlová.
Trnka expanded his ambitions with Old Czech Legends, released in 1953. Adapted primarily from Alois Jirásek’s classic literary collection while also drawing on medieval chronicles and archaeological research, the film dramatizes six foundational myths from early Czech history. Episodes recount the arrival of the Czech people under Forefather Čech, the tale of Bivoj’s battle with a wild boar, the story of Libuše and Přemysl, the Maidens’ War, Horymír’s legendary escape on his horse Šemík, and the climactic Lucko War.
Trnka created hundreds of individually designed puppets for the production, while carefully researched costumes, architecture, and large-scale crowd scenes pushed the technical limits of stop-motion filmmaking. A score by Václav Trojan combines elements inspired by medieval music with Czech folk traditions and symphonic composition.
Celebrating Trnka’s lasting international legacy
Both films underwent extensive digital restoration during the past decade under the supervision of the National Film Archive in collaboration with Budapest’s Magyar Filmlabor. Rather than modernizing the images, the restorations aimed to preserve the films as closely as possible to the way audiences experienced them during their original releases.
The new Blu-ray also places Trnka’s work within its broader historical context through an extensive selection of supplementary material. A newly produced video essay by film historian Michael Brooke explores Trnka’s career and the wider tradition of Czech animation, while introductions accompany both feature films.
Additional archival content includes The Puppets of Jiří Trnka, contemporary Czech newsreels documenting the filmmaker’s work, and Trnka’s influential 1965 short The Hand, widely regarded as one of animation’s greatest political allegories. Produced during the communist era, The Hand uses the story of a sculptor manipulated by a giant hand as a powerful meditation on artistic freedom and state control. The film became internationally acclaimed but also drew the attention of Czechoslovak authorities, reinforcing Trnka’s reputation for embedding political commentary within seemingly fantastical puppet stories.
The collection also features Badly Painted Hen, the 1963 animated short directed by Jiří Brdečka, who co-wrote Old Czech Legends and collaborated with Trnka on several projects. A booklet includes new writing by Czech cinema scholars Peter Hames and Jonathan Owen, accompanied by revised English subtitle translations.
The new Blu-ray release, including a slipcase limited to the first 2,000 copies, can be pre-ordered from Amazon.co.uk.
