John Cervenka was a Czech-Australian artist who made art toys, many of them automatons. These clockwork creations intrigue almost all who see them in action: cats walk on tight-ropes, the Three Bears eat breakfast, clowns roar around in a circus car and there is even a guillotine that cuts off the head of an unfortunate toy prisoner. The automatons are made of recycled materials ranging from cat food tins and beer cans to old microwave turntables. The toys are the heart of the story. Our visual exploration of the art toys leads to the stories behind them, related by two of John’s friends -Czech-born Lenka is a Puckish figure full of stories – some of them fairy stories about John that are based on truth and she relates a vivid waking dream of the ‘ souls’ of the toys floating around the room on the day when John died. Is it possible that somehow the figures he created actually have ‘tiny souls’ ? What drove Cervenka to give up a successful career as a theatre designer to devote himself entirely to making tinplate toys for over forty years? Why was he so passionate about making everything by hand? How did Cervenka’s experience first under Russian occupation and then as a refugee affect his art? Following Cervenka’s death in 2023, a selection of his work has been acquired by Chudrim Puppetry Museum in the Czech Republic. A room and a book will be dedicated to his work. Both will be inaugurated in the museum in 2027. John never returned to his home country but his toys are finally going home! We will film this auspicious event and capture some of the magic of Prague, its toy and puppet making and elements that remind us of what inspired Cervenka.
Deborah is a documentary producer/director who has made broadcast documentaries in Australia and the UK. Her films have often been made for high profile NGOs and governments including the World Bank, The Department of Foreign Affairs, UK and the Palace of Westminster .She has won awards both as a producer and director. Her film ‘All in the Same Boat’ won Best Short Documentary at the Sydney Film Festival and she is a graduate of the National Film and Television School of Great Britain. Her most recent film ‘Just Like Horses’ was also recognised with an award. Her work in the past has concentrated on social issues and women’s stories. In ‘Tiny Souls’, she is exploring a more personal poetic approach to documentary.
