Irena Kovarova, an independent film curator, will discuss the literary inspirations in the puppet films by the world-renowned Czech filmmaker and book illustrator Jiri Trnka. Trnka (1912-1969), the master of stop motion animation, brought to the screen works from Kosmas, Shakespeare, Chekhov, Hasek and others. From tragedy to comedy, Trnka made adults appreciate puppets like nobody else. 

The talk will be complemented by excerpts from Trnka's films.

Irena Kovarova is an independent film curator and producer of film retrospectives such as Juraj Herz: In and Out of the Czechoslovak New Wave (2019), The Puppet Master: The Complete Jiri Trnka (2018), and In Case of Emergency: The Films of Ruben Ostlund (2015). Having worked independently in New York in the field of repertory cinema since 2004, Irena founded Comeback Company in 2013 to further expand her film projects. In the past, Irena served as Director of Programming of the Young Visual Artists Awards of the Foundation of a Civil Society (2004-2009), and as Acting Director at Czech Center New York (1999-2004). A native of Prague, Irena has lived in New York since 1996.

venue: Bohemian National Hall, 321 E. 73rd Street, 1st floor   

Free and open to the public. Suggested donation $5. Seats are limited, on first-come, first-served basis. RSVP online through Eventbrite.

This event is organized by the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences New York (SVU), with support of BBLA.