“Yarek-Dzharek in Slovakia”

“Jarek-Džarek na Slovensku” is the Slovak-language title of Natalia Karlinsky’s storybook for English/Slovak language learners. It follows Jarek, a boy who dreams up a fantastic journey through Slovakia, enabled by a magical wire spool - one reminiscent of the Drotar wire-craftsmen who once plied their trade throughout Slovakia and the surrounding regions.

Adapting the book to the screen required a number of design choices. I focused on a hand drawn style laid out in simple “paper theater” arrangements in an attempt to preserve the playful, childlike aesthetic of the book. Not only were a large number of the final assets actually drawn on paper and scanned, several of them were sourced from young relatives, credited as Junior Artists in the film.

Editor/Animator: Alexander Parmley

Voice of Jarek: Sam Latza

Based on the book by: Natalia Karlinsky