Four schoolboys go on a trip to the Museum of Natural History in New York and end up on on an epic voyage through prehistory encountering mammoths, monsters and dinosaurs along the way in Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman’s Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955). Now released in a new 4K digital restoration, Zeman evokes worlds of wonder and discovery to produce his most beguiling and magical work, using a variety of innovative techniques (cel animation, stop-motion, puppetry and animatronics).

Described as the ‘Czech Méliès’, Zeman has been a profound influence on generations of film artists from Jan Švankmajer to Tim Burton, the Quay Brothers to Terry Gilliam and Wes Anderson. His innovations in the use of live-action and animation mark him as one of the great masters of 20th Century fantasy cinema, alongside his more celebrated Western counterparts Willis O’Brien, George Pal and Ray Harryhausen.

Join us for a pre-historic adventure for all ages and there will be a drop in workshop to create Dioramas inspired by the Journey to The Beginning of Time prior to the screening from 12 noon.