The Melbourne Cinémathèque & ACMI present
Ikarie XB-1
When
Wed 7 Oct 2026
Adapted from Stanisław Lem’s 1955 novel, The Magellanic Cloud, Polák’s landmark ’Scope feature is a clear influence on Star Trek and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Liška’s extraordinarily innovative score employs manipulated tape loops of orchestral instruments and found sounds to produce a sense of foreboding and evoke the enervating psychological ambience aboard a spaceship peopled by an international crew seeking signs of life in Alpha Centauri.
Preceded by The Snowman Hermína Týrlová 1966 9 mins – Unclassified 15+. Often called “the mother of Czech animation”, Týrlová’s delightful stop-motion wool animation is soundtracked by a striking electroacoustic Liška score.
Both films courtesy of the National Film Archive in Prague.
Films in this program
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About Melbourne Cinémathèque
Australia's longest-running film society, Melbourne Cinémathèque screens significant works of international cinema in the medium they were created, the way they would have originally screened.
Melbourne Cinémathèque is self-administered, volunteer-run, not-for-profit and membership-driven.
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