Karel Zeman
Karel Zeman was a brilliant pioneer of special effects in film. Despite his artistic talent, his parents insisted he study business. At the age of 17, he went to Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, where he studied advertising design. In 1943, the film director Elmar Klos offered him a job at the Bata Film Studios. Zeman often had to struggle against difficult conditions in the technically ill-equipped Kudlov Studios. Many of the workers with whom he started had no particular experience of filming. They, like Zeman himself, had to learn everything on the job. Journey to the Beginning of Time, released in 1955, became Zeman's breakthrough film, his first to combine live action, animation and puppetry. Four years later, Invention for Destruction saw him shoot to world-wide success. Zeman continued to develop his highly successful use of special effects in The Fabulous Baron Munchausen and the two Jules Verne adaptations that followed. In the 70's, Zeman returned to making strictly animated films. In the late 70's Zeman was threatened with the loss of his sight, but he overcame the disease and continued working. In the final stages of his life he suffered from heart problems.
Journey to the Beginning of Time
(1955)
Four schoolboys go on an awe-inspiring expedition back through time, where they behold landscapes and creatures that have long since vanished from the earth. (more)
Four schoolboys go on an awe-inspiring expedition back through time, where they behold landscapes and creatures that have long since vanished from the earth. (more)
A Thousand and One Nights (1974)
Five different exploits of Sinbad the sailor where he gets mixed up with the pretty daughters of exotic potentates, with powerful monsters that threaten his existence, and with all sorts of teeming jungle life. (more)
Five different exploits of Sinbad the sailor where he gets mixed up with the pretty daughters of exotic potentates, with powerful monsters that threaten his existence, and with all sorts of teeming jungle life. (more)
The Tale of John and Marie (1980)
Young knight John travels the world in search of fame and fortune, but also to help others and prove himself. However, things go dire fast and he becomes burdened with life's hardships. But then he meets a pretty water nymph, Mary. (more)
Young knight John travels the world in search of fame and fortune, but also to help others and prove himself. However, things go dire fast and he becomes burdened with life's hardships. But then he meets a pretty water nymph, Mary. (more)
Mr. Prokouk Inventor (1949)
After a hard day at work, Mr. Prokouk decides to invent a machine to ease his labor. But inventing is work too, and Mr. Prokouk spends more time dreaming about inventions than actually inventing anything. Can he find an easy solution? (more)
After a hard day at work, Mr. Prokouk decides to invent a machine to ease his labor. But inventing is work too, and Mr. Prokouk spends more time dreaming about inventions than actually inventing anything. Can he find an easy solution? (more)
Mr. Prokouk Filmmaker (1948)
Shortfilm from the Mr. Prokouk series. Mr. Prokouk wants to be a filmmaker, but the making of a film has more complications than he expected. (more)
Shortfilm from the Mr. Prokouk series. Mr. Prokouk wants to be a filmmaker, but the making of a film has more complications than he expected. (more)
The Temptation of Mr. Prokouk (1947)
While building a house, Mr. Prokouk is interrupted by a chap in a barrel with a seemingly endless supply of free liquor. This does not improve Mr. Prokouk's building skill. Can he regain sobriety long enough to finish his house? (more)
While building a house, Mr. Prokouk is interrupted by a chap in a barrel with a seemingly endless supply of free liquor. This does not improve Mr. Prokouk's building skill. Can he regain sobriety long enough to finish his house? (more)
King Lavra
(1951)
A king hides an embarrassing secret - and it causes him to execute every barber who cuts his hair. (more)
A king hides an embarrassing secret - and it causes him to execute every barber who cuts his hair. (more)
Inspiration
(1949)
A glass blower imagines that his creations come to life. A story of love contained within a single drop of rain. A voyage into ethereal beauty. (more)
A glass blower imagines that his creations come to life. A story of love contained within a single drop of rain. A voyage into ethereal beauty. (more)
On the Comet (1970)
When a comet passes the Earth very closely, it pulls a small part of North Africa, and a small swathe of humanity, along with it. (more)
When a comet passes the Earth very closely, it pulls a small part of North Africa, and a small swathe of humanity, along with it. (more)
The Jester's Tale
(1964)
An anti-war black comedy set during the Thirty Years' War. The film combines live action with animation to suggest the artistic style of the engraver Matthäus Merian. (more)
An anti-war black comedy set during the Thirty Years' War. The film combines live action with animation to suggest the artistic style of the engraver Matthäus Merian. (more)
A Christmas Dream
(1945)
Christmas has arrived. As a little girl and her parents enter the room, the little girl finds all kinds of toys under the Christmas Tree. She immediately throws her old doll aside and starts playing with her new dolls. But that night she has a dream. Or maybe it ... (more)
Christmas has arrived. As a little girl and her parents enter the room, the little girl finds all kinds of toys under the Christmas Tree. She immediately throws her old doll aside and starts playing with her new dolls. But that night she has a dream. Or maybe it ... (more)
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
(1962)
The 20th century's first man lands on the moon and discovers - that Baron Munchausen has already beaten him to it, along with Cyrano and characters from Jules Verne's lunar-landing novel. The Baron spirits the young cosmonaut by horse-drawn ship back to an ancient ... (more)
The 20th century's first man lands on the moon and discovers - that Baron Munchausen has already beaten him to it, along with Cyrano and characters from Jules Verne's lunar-landing novel. The Baron spirits the young cosmonaut by horse-drawn ship back to an ancient ... (more)
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978)
Krabat, a beggar boy, is lured to become an apprentice to an evil, one-eyed sorcerer. With a number of other boys, he works at the sorcerer's mill while learning black magic. Every Christmas one of the boys has to face the master in a magical duel, where the boy ... (more)
Krabat, a beggar boy, is lured to become an apprentice to an evil, one-eyed sorcerer. With a number of other boys, he works at the sorcerer's mill while learning black magic. Every Christmas one of the boys has to face the master in a magical duel, where the boy ... (more)
The Stolen Airship (1967)
The Stolen Airship (Czech: Ukradená vzducholod) is a 1967 live-action/animated film by Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman. The story is based loosely on Jules Verne's novels Two Years' Vacation and The Mysterious Island. The film in Art Nouveau style consists of ... (more)
The Stolen Airship (Czech: Ukradená vzducholod) is a 1967 live-action/animated film by Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman. The story is based loosely on Jules Verne's novels Two Years' Vacation and The Mysterious Island. The film in Art Nouveau style consists of ... (more)
Film Adventurer Karel Zeman
(2015)
A look at the life, work and importance of Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman (1910-89), a genius of world cinema, a wizard of special effects, revealing his sources of inspiration and his revolutionary filming techniques. (more)
A look at the life, work and importance of Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman (1910-89), a genius of world cinema, a wizard of special effects, revealing his sources of inspiration and his revolutionary filming techniques. (more)
A Horseshoe for Luck
(1946)
A walking on the street finds a horseshoe, thinks it's a good luck charm. So, he decides to take it with him home and find a suitable place for it. He soon discovers that the horseshoe brings him nothing but bad luck. (more)
A walking on the street finds a horseshoe, thinks it's a good luck charm. So, he decides to take it with him home and find a suitable place for it. He soon discovers that the horseshoe brings him nothing but bad luck. (more)
Mr. Prokouk Officer (1947)
Cobler Mr Prokouk starts working in an office where there is a lot of paperwork too big for him. (more)
Cobler Mr Prokouk starts working in an office where there is a lot of paperwork too big for him. (more)
The Treasure of Bird Island (1953)
People living on an island finds a treasure, but it does not only do them good. (more)
People living on an island finds a treasure, but it does not only do them good. (more)
Invention for Destruction
(1958)
As the world progresses into the industrial age, a professor studying the "nature of pure matter" is spirited away by a would-be dictator and connived into building a super-bomb, as a young reporter and a girl rescued from the sea attempt to warn him of their ... (more)
As the world progresses into the industrial age, a professor studying the "nature of pure matter" is spirited away by a would-be dictator and connived into building a super-bomb, as a young reporter and a girl rescued from the sea attempt to warn him of their ... (more)