Live action, special effects, painted backdrops, puppets and animation are all ingeniously combined in the fantastic films of Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman. 50 years after the earliest days of cinema, Karel Zeman returned to the magical techniques of Georges Mélies to create films of unmatched beauty.

In collaboration with the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles, the Velaslavasay Panorama hosts three screenings of Zeman’s films exploring a deep sea voyage, the perils of prehistoric life, and the airborne adventures of Jules Vernes.

Sunday October 8, 2023 - Afternoon screening & Czech Garden Celebration

Doors open 1:30pm, Film Starts 2:00pm, Czech Garden Celebration 3:30pm-6:00pm

Cesta do pravěku (Journey to the Beginning of Time)

Czechoslovakia, 1955, colour, 86 min. Digitally restored.

Directed by Karel Zeman

Written by Karel Zeman, J. A. Novotný

Scientific Supervisor – Doc. Dr. Josef Augusta

Camera by Václav Pazderník, Antonín Horák

Other Screenings in the series "The Painted Cinema of Karel Zeman" includes:

Thursday October 5, 2023 - Vynález zkázy (Invention for Destruction)

Thursday October 12, 2023 - Ukradená vzducholod' (The Stolen Airship)

Sponsored by Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiast Society, Czech Consulate LA, Artinii, R Jelinek Distillery and Czechoslovak Society of Arts & Sciences – Los Angeles Chapter