German director Lotte Reiniger spent three years making this silent animated film based on the Arabian Nights legends. The dashing Prince Achmed saves a lovely damsel from evil witches and mythical beasts, as well as discovering Aladdin's lamp, all in the primitive but intriguing silhouette style of animation which Reiniger herself developed. The film's 65-minute running time gave it the distinction of being the first animated feature in the world, but only one copy remained in existence until Reiniger supervised the striking of newly tinted negatives in the early '70s.
Director: | Lotte Reiniger, Karl Koch |