Jan Švankmajer  

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Stop-motion features in most of his work, though his feature films also include live action to varying degrees. Stop-motion features in most of his work, though his feature films also include live action to varying degrees.
-A lot of his movies, like the short film ''Down to the Cellar'', are made from a child's perspective, while at the same time often having a truly disturbing and even aggressive nature. +A lot of his movies, like the short film ''[[Down to the Cellar]]'', are made from a child's perspective, while at the same time often having a truly disturbing and even aggressive nature.
Today he is one of the most celebrated animators in the world. His best known works are probably the feature films ''[[Alice (1988 film)|Alice]]'' (1988), ''[[Faust (1994 film)|Faust]]'' (1994), ''[[Conspirators of Pleasure]]'' (1996), ''[[Otesánek]]'' (2000) and ''[[Lunacy (film)|Šílení/Lunacy]]'' (2005), a surreal comic horror based on the work of [[Edgar Allan Poe]] and the [[Marquis de Sade]]. Also famous (and much imitated) is the short ''[[Dimensions of Dialogue]]'' (1982), which shows [[Giuseppe Arcimboldo|Arcimboldo]]-like heads gradually reducing each other to bland copies ("exhaustive discussion"); a clay man and woman who dissolve into one another sexually, then quarrel and reduce themselves to a frenzied, boiling pulp ("passionate discourse"); and two elderly clay heads who extrude various objects on their tongues (toothbrush and toothpaste; shoe and shoelaces, etc.) and use them in every possible combination, sane or otherwise ("factual conversation"). His films have been called "as emotionally haunting as Kafka's stories." (Caryn James, 1994) Today he is one of the most celebrated animators in the world. His best known works are probably the feature films ''[[Alice (1988 film)|Alice]]'' (1988), ''[[Faust (1994 film)|Faust]]'' (1994), ''[[Conspirators of Pleasure]]'' (1996), ''[[Otesánek]]'' (2000) and ''[[Lunacy (film)|Šílení/Lunacy]]'' (2005), a surreal comic horror based on the work of [[Edgar Allan Poe]] and the [[Marquis de Sade]]. Also famous (and much imitated) is the short ''[[Dimensions of Dialogue]]'' (1982), which shows [[Giuseppe Arcimboldo|Arcimboldo]]-like heads gradually reducing each other to bland copies ("exhaustive discussion"); a clay man and woman who dissolve into one another sexually, then quarrel and reduce themselves to a frenzied, boiling pulp ("passionate discourse"); and two elderly clay heads who extrude various objects on their tongues (toothbrush and toothpaste; shoe and shoelaces, etc.) and use them in every possible combination, sane or otherwise ("factual conversation"). His films have been called "as emotionally haunting as Kafka's stories." (Caryn James, 1994)

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Jan Švankmajer (born 4 September 1934 in Prague) is a Czech surrealist artist and filmmaker. His work spans several media. He is known for his surreal animations and features, which have greatly influenced other artists such as Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, The Brothers Quay and many others.

Švankmajer has gained a reputation over several decades for his distinctive use of stop-motion technique, and his ability to make surreal, nightmarish and yet somehow funny pictures.

Švankmajer's surrealist orientation is an essential element in almost all his films. He draws from sources dear to many surrealists including Edgar Allan Poe, Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, Lewis Carroll, Horace Walpole, Faust, and Arcimboldo.

Švankmajer's trademarks include very exaggerated sounds, often creating a very strange effect in all eating scenes. He often uses very sped-up sequences when people walk and interact. His movies often involve inanimate objects coming alive and being brought to life through stop-motion. Food is a favourite subject and medium. Stop-motion features in most of his work, though his feature films also include live action to varying degrees.

A lot of his movies, like the short film Down to the Cellar, are made from a child's perspective, while at the same time often having a truly disturbing and even aggressive nature.

Today he is one of the most celebrated animators in the world. His best known works are probably the feature films Alice (1988), Faust (1994), Conspirators of Pleasure (1996), Otesánek (2000) and Šílení/Lunacy (2005), a surreal comic horror based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe and the Marquis de Sade. Also famous (and much imitated) is the short Dimensions of Dialogue (1982), which shows Arcimboldo-like heads gradually reducing each other to bland copies ("exhaustive discussion"); a clay man and woman who dissolve into one another sexually, then quarrel and reduce themselves to a frenzied, boiling pulp ("passionate discourse"); and two elderly clay heads who extrude various objects on their tongues (toothbrush and toothpaste; shoe and shoelaces, etc.) and use them in every possible combination, sane or otherwise ("factual conversation"). His films have been called "as emotionally haunting as Kafka's stories." (Caryn James, 1994)

He was married to Eva Švankmajerová an internationally known surrealist painter, ceramicist and writer until her death in October of 2005. She collaborated on several of his movies including Faust, Otesánek and Alice.

Filmography

Feature-length films

Short films


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