Jurko the Highwayman

1976 / dir. Viktor Kubal / 76 min / New 2K restoration

The first feature length animation ever produced in Slovakia, Jurko the Highwayman is a myth-infused retelling of the Slovakian Robin Hood bandit/highwayman Jurko Jánošík’s fabled adventures. Beloved in Eastern Europe and seldom screened in North America, this delightfully unclassifiable melding of comedy, drama, action, tragedy and musical is a sight to behold.

Jurko the Highwayman tours as part of Viktor Kubal: Father of Slovak Animation, a retrospective of the landmark animator’s pioneering work in much-loved children’s shorts as well as subversive – though no less groundbreaking – feature films.

Restorations courtesy of the Slovak Film Institute.