Kurt Maetzig directed the 1962 science-fiction film First Spaceship on Venus, also known as The Silent Star.
The film was produced in East Germany and Poland and is based on Stanisław Lem’s 1951 novel The Astronauts. Its story follows an international expedition to Venus after scientists discover evidence of a technologically advanced civilization. The film’s original German title, Der schweigende Stern, translates as The Silent Star.
The title Pandora’s Planet appeared in some English-language distribution contexts, connecting the film to the mythological idea of a dangerous hidden legacy. It is not a straightforward adaptation of Pandora’s story, and its Venus expedition replaces the ancient myth’s gods and jar with science-fiction technology.
Kurt Maetzig was a major East German filmmaker. The film is notable as an early international science-fiction production and for imagining cooperation among astronauts from several countries.