Shadow Play: The Animated Films of Lotte Reiniger
12 Episodes
The foremost pioneer of silhouette animation, German filmmaker Lotte Reiniger brought enchanting storybook worlds to life through her intricate cutouts and groundbreaking use of a proto-multiplane camera that she developed a decade before the technique was made famous by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Her gorgeous “One Thousand and One Nights”–inspired adventure THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED—thought to be the oldest surviving feature-length animated film—is presented alongside a selection of her more than sixty shorts. Drawing inspiration from fairy tales, classic children’s books, operas, and biblical stories, these dazzling jewels transport viewers to fantastical realms of the imagination as only animation can.
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1:05:48Episode 1The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Episode 1
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1926 • Germany
Widely believed to be the very first animated feature film, Lotte Reiniger’s astonishing 1926 adaptation of tales from “One Thousand and One Nights” uses striking silhouette cutouts and gorgeous color tinting to bring to life the story of an Arabian p... -
09:18Episode 2The Flying Coffer
Episode 2
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1922 • Germany
One of Lotte Reiniger’s first forays into the world of fairy tales tells the story of a poor young man who sets out to rescue a Chinese princess imprisoned by her father in the tower of a pagoda.
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03:10Episode 3The Secret of the Marquise
Episode 3
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1922 • Germany
Lotte Reiniger applies her charming cutout animation technique to this early advertisement for the Nivea skin care company.
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DR. DOLITTLE: LION’S DEN: German Version
Episode 4
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1923 • Germany
The animals of Africa pitch in to help Dr. Dolittle tend to a troop of ailing gorillas, orangutans, and baboons.
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DR. DOLITTLE: LION’S DEN: English Version
Episode 5
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1923 • Germany
The animals of Africa pitch in to help Dr. Dolittle tend to a troop of ailing gorillas, orangutans, and baboons.
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12:11Episode 6Dr. Dolittle: A Trip to Africa
Episode 6
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1923 • Germany
Hugh Lofting’s beloved children’s-book character ventures to Africa in order to cure a band of sick monkeys.
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10:19Episode 7The Magic Horse
Episode 7
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1953 • United Kingdom
Lotte Reiniger returns to the character of Prince Achmed for this “Arabian Nights”–inspired fantasy in which our hero takes off on a flying horse.
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11:00Episode 8The Caliph Stork
Episode 8
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1954 • Germany
The caliph of Baghdad is transformed into a stork by his wicked uncle in this adaptation of a tale by Wilhelm Hauff.
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14:41Episode 9Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
Episode 9
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1954 • United Kingdom
The classic story of a poor young tailor who comes into possession of a lamp containing a wish-granting genie is brought to life through Lotte Reiniger’s enchanting silhouette animation.
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19:01Episode 10The Star of Bethlehem
Episode 10
Directed by Vivian Milroy and Lotte Reiniger • 1956 • United Kingdom
Lotte Reiniger combines her trademark silhouette animation with gorgeous color backdrops to tell the story of the Nativity.
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14:52Episode 11The Lost Son
Episode 11
Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1974 • United Kingdom
One of Lotte Reiniger’s final films is an animated retelling of the biblical parable of the prodigal son.
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Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film
Episode 12
This 1999 German documentary by Katja Raganelli chronciles the life and work of animator Lotte Reiniger.
