Lotte Reiniger

Lotte REINIGER (1899–1981, Germany) was a German film director and a pioneer of silhouette animation, best known for The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), the oldest surviving feature-length animated film. Fascinated by the art of paper cutting from a young age, she developed her distinctive silhouette animation style, creating over 40 films during her career. Reiniger was also the first to develop a multiplane camera, an invention that later became a crucial animation tool. Her first feature film was a critical success, blending intricate silhouettes with enchanting storytelling. Reiniger collaborated with avant-garde artists like Bertolt Brecht and Walter Ruttmann, and her innovative work influenced the animation techniques of studios worldwide. Her films, like Papageno (1935), combined creativity with technical innovation, placing her among the early giants of animation, long before Disney. Reiniger’s influence continues to inspire animators with her artistic vision and technical ingenuity.

Filmography

(selection) The Ornament of the Lovestruck Heart (1919, short), Amor and the Steady Loving Couple (1920, short), The Star of Bethlehem (1921, short), Sleeping Beauty (1922, short), The Flying Suitcase (1922, short), The Secret of the Marquise (1922, short), Cinderella (1922, short) The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) The Chinese Nightingale (1927), Dr. Dolittle and His Animals (3 parts: “The Journey to Africa”, “The Monkey Bridge”, “The Monkey Illness”) (1928, short), Ten Minutes of Mozart (1930), Harlekin (short, 1931), Sissi (short, 1932), Carmen (1933, short), The Stolen Heart (short, 1934), Galathea: The Living Marblestatue (short, 1935), Kalif Storch (short, 1935), Papageno (short, 1935), The Goose That Lays the Golden Eggs (short, 1944), Mary’s Birthday (short, 1951), The Magic Horse (short, 1953), Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (short, 1954), Caliph Storch (short,1954),  Cinderella (short,1954), Puss in Boots (short,1954), Snow White and Rose Red (short,1954), The Frog Prince (short,1954), The Gallant Little Tailor (short,1954), The Grasshopper and the Ant (short,1954), The Little Chimney Sweep (short,1954) The Sleeping Beauty (short,1954), The Three Wishes (short, 1954), Thumbelina (short, 1954),Hansel and Gretel (short, 1955) Jack and the Beanstalk (short, 1955) The Frog Prince (short, 1961), Lotte Reiniger – The Fairy Tale Films (1961), The Lost Son (short, 1974), Aucassin and Nicolette  (short, 1975), The Rose and the Ring (short, 1979), Die vier Jahreszeiten (The Four Seasons) (short, 1980)