The Adventures Return with Prince Achmed

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed) is an undiscovered gem. This 1926 animated feature film is the creation of Lotte Reiniger. It is the oldest animated feature known to be in existence. If that is not enough to make you want to see it, the score for this film is also quite amazing. It's like a symphony was composed just for it. Although there is no dialogue, the titling interspersed in the film are very dramatic and the story is quite compelling. On top of that the detail of the silhouette animation, a technique that she created after the Japanese shadow puppet technique. In one scene she takes care to even show the reflection of the characters in the lake using her special technique to pull off very Romantic imagery.

The story is based on one of the 1001 Arabian nights tales. Reiniger pulls off a fantastic animated film. Being the oldest known feature-length animated film, it's a must see for all German film lovers.