Ludmila Zeman facts for kids

Ludmila Zeman, born on April 23, 1947, is a talented artist and animator from the Czech Republic who now lives in Canada. She is famous for creating wonderful children's books and animated films. Her father was the well-known filmmaker Karel Zeman.

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Ludmila Zeman was born in Zlín, a city in the Czech Republic. She studied art at a special school in Uherské Hradiště. After finishing her studies, she worked with her father, Karel Zeman. She helped him create his last movies.

Ludmila married Eugen Spálený, who was the main animator at her father's studio. They had two children, Linda and Malvinia. Ludmila then started her own career. She focused on creating story books and animated films for children.

Moving to Canada

In 1983, Ludmila and her husband were invited to teach film technique in Vancouver, Canada. They wanted to move, but the government in Czechoslovakia did not allow them to leave. They were accused of liking Western ideas too much. Ludmila was told to leave her animation job. Eugen was forced to do different work.

In the summer of 1984, the family found a way to escape. They traveled through Yugoslavia to a refugee camp in Austria. Finally, they arrived in Canada and began their teaching jobs.

Award-Winning Animation Work

In Canada, Ludmila and Eugen created a short animated piece. It was called The Cedar Tree of Life. This thirty-second film was made for the Canadian version of Sesame Street. The National Film Board of Canada noticed their work. They invited the couple to make a short film about any topic they chose.

Ludmila decided to create Lord of the Sky. This film was based on old stories from the First Nations people of Canada's North Pacific. She used a special method called paper cutouts to make the film. Lord of the Sky was a big success. It won eleven international awards, including a top prize at the American Film Festival in 1993. It was also shown at the famous Sundance Film Festival and was considered for an Academy Award.

The Gilgamesh Trilogy

After the success of Lord of the Sky, Ludmila and Eugen planned a longer animated film. It was going to be based on the ancient story of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Ludmila's father, Karel Zeman, had introduced her to this epic when she was eleven years old. It was one of his favorite books.

This idea for a film later became a series of three children's books. Ludmila Zeman wrote and illustrated all of them. The books are:

• Gilgamesh the King (1991)
• The Revenge of Ishtar (1993)
• The Last Quest of Gilgamesh (1995)

The last book in the series, The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, won a major prize. It received the 1995 Governor General's Award for Children's Illustration. In 2011, the Embassy of Canada in Japan held an exhibition of Ludmila Zeman's artwork in Tokyo.