Karel Zeman

Invention for Destruction 

£2 | Booking advised via Eventbrite or contact us: info@campleline.org.uk | +44 (0) 1848 331000

(1958) 79mins, sound, Czech, English subtitles, U

Described as the ‘Czech Méliès’, Karel Zeman (1910–1989) has had a profound influence on filmmakers such as Terry Gilliam. Invention for Destruction, based on the writings of Jules Verne, is his most beloved work and is still the most commercially successful Czech film ever produced. Wildly inventive, and breaking new ground in its combination of live-action, animation and design, it created a ‘steampunk’ aesthetic decades ahead of its time. 

Zeman’s film is both a heartfelt homage and love letter to Jules Verne’s wonderful tales of science and adventure, and a powerful statement against man’s propensity for self-destruction.

NB. Informal seating, including beanbags