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"I love working for children, because they are a very critical and very thankful public." Lotte Reiniger |
If you were German, (or otherwise, seriously into the archaeology of animation,) you wouldn’t hesitate to give Lotte Reiniger the privilege Walt Disney is given here in the States: to be the true founder of full-length, animation films.
Decades before Disney’s Aladdin –and years before Snow White-, there was Reiniger’s mesmerizing Adventures of Prince Achmed. And mesmerizing isn’t bodacious enough a word to quite describe her exquisite silhouette cutouts ‘animated’ against illuminated glass backdrops.
But I must admit that the comparison to Disney is like apples to pears, therefore, somewhat unfair. Cell animation (Disney’s innovation) wasn’t the technique used by Reiniger and her team who used a delicate and extremely elaborate paper cut-out method for their own sumptuous animation projects.
In linear history however, Reiniger’s release in 1926 of The Adventures of Prince Achmed, establishes her as the original pioneer of full length animation features –albeit using a different technique than the one that would prevail in the animatiion industry-. In fact, she anticipated Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks by almost ten years in her conception of the first multi-plane camera for some effects.
Because life is full of twists, now, in a rare engagement in Los Angeles, REDCAT Theatre 
(yes, the Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theatre) presents a unique chance to witness this gem of a film.
For the engagement, -and huge kudos should go once again to those behind the REDCAT’ omnivorously learned and tasteful programming- the truly avant-garde boutique theatre secured a rare, restored 35mm archival print. It will be presented Monday, January 23rd 2006 @ 8pm with live music accompaniment from the experimental music ensemble Otocine.
The archival print of The Adventures of Prince Achmed presented at REDCAT is made available by the British Film Institute and Milestone Film and Video. It was restored by the Deutsches Filmmuseum, Frankfurt (Germany) -- tinted and printed by L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna (Italy). REDCAT, CalArts’ downtown center for innovative visual, performing and media arts, is located at the corner of W. 2nd St. and S. Hope St., inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex.
Tickets are $8 for the general public, $6 for students with valid ID. Seating is general admission. Tickets may be purchased at the REDCAT box office--located at the corner of 2nd and Hope Streets, by calling 213.237.2800
