Exhibition: Tales from the Magic Garden

Tales from the Magic Garden is a feature-length animated film for children based on short stories by Czech writer Arnošt Goldflam. The film combines four tales about coping with the loss of a loved one, celebrating the healing power of storytelling. Made in four countries, it was directed by four filmmakers: Leon Vidmar, David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, and Jean-Claude Rozec. Three separate, freestanding tales were created in Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, while the cohesive overarching narrative that brings the tales together into a whole was made in France. This is only the second feature-length animated film in the history of Slovenian cinema and the first to use stop-motion puppet animation.

The exhibition traces the making of the puppet animation from initial idea to the finished image you can see on the screen. The entire creative process is divided into six stages, from writing the script to creating the sets and puppets, recording the image and sound, and finally, editing. The main exhibits come from the Slovenian segment of the film, while other elements are presented through interactive displays and devices. Take a tour to learn more about the individual phases, techniques, and tricks of stop-motion animation, and try your hand at creating a puppet animation.

Welcome to the magical world of animated stories!