Tales of the Thousand and One Nights

A classic of Czech trick film, Karel Zeman returned to purely animated work in the 1970s, drawing inspiration from Arabian tales of the sailor Sindbad. The protagonist embarks on adventures through a land of giants, climbs a magnetic mountain, narrowly escapes the realm of a sea sultan, flies on a magic carpet, and tames a magical genie.

Originally seven separate short films, Zeman later assembled them into a feature-length work. Visually, he sought to imitate the style of Persian and Arabian miniatures. His chosen flat technique was enriched not only by restrained use of three-dimensional puppets and drawn sequences, but also by suggestive experimental scenes in which, for example, sea waves are depicted through a combination of drawing and filmed reality.