The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer (1984)

Title: The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer

Original Title: The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer

Release Date: 1984-06-20

Status: Released

Rating: 6.8/10 (from 39 votes)

Language: EN

Genres: Animation

Production Companies: Atelier Koninck

In Prague, a professorial puppet, with metal pincers for hands and an open book for a hat, takes a boy as a pupil. First, the professor empties fluff and toys from the child's head, leaving him without the top of his head for most of the film. The professor then teaches the lad about illusions and perspectives, the pursuit of an object through exploring a bank of drawers, divining an object, and the migration of forms. The child then brings out a box with a tarantula in it: the professor puts his "hands" into the box and describes what he feels. The boy receives a final lesson about animation and film making; then the professor gives him a brain and his own open-book hat.