Director: Lotte Reiniger / Germany / 1926 / 65 mins
Three years in the making, Lotte Reiniger’s beautiful 1926 silhouette animation, The Adventures of Prince Achmed brings to life magical tales from the Arabian Nights. The earliest surviving animated feature film – preserved in the BFI National Archive – it has been hailed as one of the world’s most innovative and influential animations.
Handsome young Prince Achmed is brave and eager for adventure, so when the most powerful sorcerer in the world challenges him to fly a magic horse, Achmed plunges headlong into a series of exciting escapades that take him from Baghdad to China via the enchanted spirit lands of Wak-Wak.
Made in card, cut entirely by hand, and then manipulated using sheets of lead joined by wires, Reiniger’s exquisite shadow characters move intricately through colourful worlds of demons, witches, beautiful princesses and flying castles. The incredible talent and creativity shown here has influenced the animation in other films including Snow White, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Sword in the Stone.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed is the oldest surviving animated feature film and the first to be produced in Europe. A rare opportunity to see this on the big screen, and let the next generation of film lovers enjoy!
