Name: Fabrice Ziolkowski's L.A.X. (1980) — A Hypnotic City Symphony of Bygone LA
Start: 2026-07-17T19:30:00-07:00
End: 2026-07-17T21:00:00-07:00
Location: Philosophical Research Society

Fabrice Ziolkowski's L.A.X. (1980) — A Hypnotic City Symphony of Bygone LA

The Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles is a nonprofit cultural and educational organization which presents concerts, film screenings, lectures, performance art and theatre events, gallery exhibits and more on the intersection between the creative arts and mythology, mysticism and metaphysics.

The Philosophical Research Society

A rare screening of a landmark of Los Angeles avant garde cinema, a hypnotically drifting  afternoon-to-evening cruise through a bygone LA

Philosophical Research Society

As part of PRS's YesterdayLA 2026 series—a month-long exploration of the people, places, and works of art that have become part of the fabric of Los Angeles history—7th House and Los Angeles Filmforum are proud to co-present Fabrice Ziolkowski's L.A.X. (1980), a landmark of the Los Angeles avant-garde and a profound influence on subsequent works ranging from Pat O'Neill's brilliant Water and Power to Thom Andersen's beloved Los Angeles Plays Itself. Returning to Los Angeles screens for the first time in a decade, this seldom-seen work stands today as both an exquisite portrait of Los Angeles in 1980 and an inadvertent future artifact: a patient, immersive record of a city that has continued to erase, reinvent, and transform itself in the years since.A true city film and a singular avant-garde entry in the city symphony tradition—from Walter Ruttmann's Berlin: Symphony of a Great City and Dziga Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera to Chantal Akerman's News from Home and Wim Wenders' Tokyo-Ga—L.A.X. follows Los Angeles by car and on foot through long, hypnotic tracking shots and patient observations of its streets, landmarks, and overlooked corners. Created by French-American filmmaker Fabrice Ziolkowski, whose perspective seems suspended between Europe's deeper sense of historical continuity and America's restless appetite for reinvention, L.A.X. brings to Los Angeles an outsider's eye akin to that of cinematic visitors like Agnès Varda, Jacques Demy, Wim Wenders, and John Boorman, rendering even its most familiar landscapes strange, improbable, and newly visible.Progressing from sweeping aerial vistas bathed in Southern California's stark, sun-bleached daylight to the seamier nocturnal realities of street-level Hollywood, L.A.X. traces a gradual descent from sunlit mythology into the noir realities and hidden histories that lie beneath. Accompanied by a richly layered soundtrack of ambient sounds, historical and literary texts, and songs, the film reveals a metropolis haunted as much by what is absent as by what remains—its displaced communities, vanished landscapes, and forgotten histories lingering just beyond the edges of the frame.The years have transformed what was once a portrait of the contemporary city into a kind of time-traveling road movie and urban séance, conjuring the vanished landscapes and past-lived realities of Los Angeles and inviting viewers to spend an evening drifting through them. Dir. Fabrice Ziolkowski, 1980, 88 mins, United States, English/French, Unrated, Digital. Tickets: $10 (All Screenings Are In Person Only)Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions

FABRICE ZIOLKOWSKI is a French-American writer, screenwriter, filmmaker, translator and photographer.His work has moved across film, television, animation, documentary, translation, criticism and photography, often returning to figures and places at the edge of official narratives: workers, musicians, exiles, prisoners, vanished communities and myth-haunted landscapes.He wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-nominated animated feature The Secret of Kells and is currently developing several literary projects, including The 12 Labors of Nathan Kowak, a darkly comic American novel-in-stories.

LOS ANGELES FILMFORUMLos Angeles Filmforum is the city’s longest-running organization dedicated to weekly screenings of experimental film, documentaries, video art, and experimental animation. In 2025 they celebrated their 50th year. <a href="http://www.lafilmforum.org/" title="http://www.lafilmforum.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.lafilmforum.org</a>

ABOUT YesterdayLA 2026This July, the Philosophical Research Society celebrates our beloved city’s rich and diverse past with YesterdayLA 2026, our second annual month-long exploration of unique stories and works of art that have become part of the fabric of Los Angeles history. The landscape of our city is changing faster than ever before. By examining the LA of yesterday, we invite Angelenos to gather together to not only look back but forward to the possibilities of our great city’s tomorrow.Throughout its 90+ year history The Philosophical Research Society has stood as a sanctuary for those seeking truth and enlightenment, with its doors open to Angelenos who have created great works of art and innovation, political movements, and spiritual evolutions across the eras. YesterdayLA will explore the fascinating stories of our city’s past with the continued spirit of curiosity that has stood as the pillar of PRS’s mission.

ADVISORY DISCLAIMERWith some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" title="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Common Sense Media</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/" title="https://www.imdb.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">IMDb</a>, and <a href="http://doesthedogdie.com/" title="http://doesthedogdie.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">DoesTheDogDie.com</a> for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email events@prs.org. CONTENT DISCLAIMERThe views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes. ACCESSIBILITYPRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to events@prs.org before showtime and we will be happy to assist you. REFUND POLICIESAll sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event. PARKINGLimited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking. PRS EVENT POLICIES<ul><li>We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.</li><li>Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.</li><li>We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.</li><li>Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.</li><li>No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.</li><li>There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.</li><li>We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.</li><li>PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.</li><li>Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.</li><li>Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.</li></ul>

Fabrice Ziolkowski's L.A.X. (1980) — A Hypnotic City Symphony of Bygone LA

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Fabrice Ziolkowski's L.A.X. (1980) — A Hypnotic City Symphony of Bygone LA

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