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 prince who is whisked away on a flying horse to an enchanted land where he tangles with an evil sorcerer, rescues a princess, and joins forces with none other than Aladdin. Painstakingly composed frame by frame by Reiniger over the course of three years, this landmark work is both an enchanting storybook saga and a retina-delighting triumph of visual imagination.
Up Next in Shadow Play: The Animated Films of Lotte Reiniger
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The Flying Coffer
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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The Secret of the Marquise
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
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.
