Presentation with research tasks looking at Jan Svankmajer's short films and the context of production

1. Jan Svankmajer
Czech Surrealism

2. You will need the following to
complete this study:
Your World Cinema Workbook
Access to a computer

3. You need to choose 3 of Svankmajer’s short films to
analyse
Make sure that you pick films that you know and like!
Watch the films again and jot down your responses
under the MICRO headings:
Camerawork
Mise-en-scene
Editing
Sound

4. You then need to research and consider some MACRO
elements that the films deal with:
Narrative – the way that the film story is told; the
sequence of events; the order that things happen. This
may take time as Svankmajers work is often quickly
edited, with confusing and disorientating juxtaposition of
images

5. Genre:
In your opinion why is Svankmajer’s work surrealist?
For guidance read the essay ‘Surrealism, Fantasy and the
Grotesque’ The Cinema of Jan Svankmajer (printed in
your World Cinema workbook. Also look at the
Surrealism chapter from A2 Film: An Essential
Introduction
What are Svankmajer’s connections with the Czech
Surrealist Group?

6. Themes and Issues in Svankmajer’s work
Research Czech history – especially the Communist era
1948 – 1989
Animation was a way for Svankmajer to make subversive
work that would be free from Communist censorship.
The party assumed that Svankmajer’s work was for
children.
What subversive statements do you think that
Svankmajer was making in his films?
Given what you now know about Czech culture and
history - what do you think his films are about?

7. Similarities between Svankmajer and Bunuel
Are there any similarities between the two director’s
work(s)?
Can you find examples from their films that illustrate
your ideas?
Was Bunuel obsessed with the same things as
Svankmajer? Did they both view surrealist film as a way
to make statements about society? Give specific
examples from their films that illustrate your answer(s)