Lotte Reiniger

Lotte that Silhouette Girl is a short animated documentary about the fantastic and creative life of film pioneer Lotte Reiniger, who was a rockstar of an animator. She invented the multiplane camera and created the first feature length animation. Lotte that Silhouette Girl is an homage to her, told in Lotte’s style, with stop motion shadow animation and through a lens of folktale storytelling. For many unjust reasons, Lotte is just a footnote in the history of film, but she revolutionized animation and made it what it is today. In this short film, Lotte’s puppets have come back to life to set the story straight.

BBC Four’s new documentary takes us on a journey through more than a century of animation. It examines the creative and technical inventiveness of some of the great animation pioneers who have worked in Britain – trailblazing talents such as Len Lye, John Halas and Joy Batchelor, Joanna Quinn, and Bristol’s world-conquering Aardman Animations.

Portrait of the pioneer of animation films Lotte Reiniger.

This short documentary looks at the animated art of Lotte Reiniger. We are taken through a demonstration by Lotte herself on the way she cut out, constructed and filmed a silhouette character. She also discusses how she developed the use of coloured gelatines for her backgrounds. To illustrate her output, the documentary includes extracts from several of her films including Papageno (1935), The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) and The Frog Prince.

It’s quite telling that Katja Raganelli chose the animation pioneer Lotte Reiniger as her gateway figure into German cinema’s past. Like Alice Guy-Blaché, she was prolific, and worked in all kinds of formats, including commercials and animated interludes for fiction features. More than Guy-Blaché, though, she was an inventor of forms and techniques whose genius was admired by the likes of Bertolt Brecht. It says a lot about film history that Reiniger remains still a specialists’ darling…

Taken from The Arabian Nights, a wicked sorcerer and the beautiful prince Achmed battle one against the other during a series of wondrous adventures.

Lotte Reiniger applies her charming cutout animation technique to this early advertisement for the Nivea skin care company.

Lotte Reiniger returns to the character of Prince Achmed for this “Arabian Nights”–inspired fantasy in which our hero takes off on a flying horse.

Snow White and Rose Red give shelter to a bear who reveals himself to be a prince under a spell cast by a wicked dwarf.

Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina told the tale of a tiny girl grown from seed to be a companion to an old woman, Reiniger has her Thumbelina born spontaneously and magically from a flower, beholden to none but herself.

Cinderella lived with her stepmother and her two stepsisters. They were very mean to Cinderella, making her work all day cleaning, sewing, and cooking. She tried her best to make them happy. Cinderella's stepmother, was cold, cruel, and jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty.

Because Dummling has a good heart, fate leads him to a princess waiting for rescue.

Aladdin, a poor tailor in Baghdad, discovers a magic lamp with a genie inside. After he uses it to gain wealth and the hand of the caliph's daughter, he must fend off an evil sorcerer who wants the lamp for himself.

Ping Pong receives a bottle of alcohol as a gift from the Emperor. When he gets drunk and chokes on a fish bone, no one in the city wants to take responsibility for his death.

A silhouette animation based on the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale "Hansel & Gretel".

Wishing to take power for himself, a magician tricks his nephew, The Caliph of Baghdad, into sniffing a powder which turns him into a stork.

A princess's ball falls into a well and is rescued by a frog but she has to make a promise before he gives it back.

An animated short film based on the famous fairytale by the Brothers Grimm about the enterprising cat in boots and a feather hat, who manages to procure for his poor master a princess, an ogre's castle, and a kingdom.

Film shows the story of Papageno (the one from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute"), who wants a mate, yet has difficulties getting one.

A musical Grasshopper continues to play his violin while the Ant works hard to prepare for the winter. Later as winter arrives Grasshopper realizes he is not ready for winter and falls ill.

Silhouette film advertising the Post Office Greetings Telegram service.

Zehn Minuten Mozart was Reiniger's first attempt at merging silhouette animation with music.

Lotte Reiniger's interpretation of Grimm's recorded version of Aschenputtel (Cinderella) from 1922.

A king demands butter for his royal slice of bread.

A king demands butter for his royal slice of bread.

The original nativity story animated silent film by Lotte Reiniger.

Lotte Reiniger's earliest preserved fairytale film based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

The original nativity story animated silent film by Lotte Reiniger.

Silhouette fairy tale film about a man who wins his true love with the help of the "wee folk".

Pioneer of silhouette animation, Lotte Reiniger, uses this technique in a retelling of the Greek legend in which the sculptor, Pygmalion, brings a statue to life.

Silhouette film. Based on Bizet’s opera “Carmen”.

Four short films directed by Lotte Reiniger : Sleeping Beauty ; Snow-White and Rose-Red ; Poucette ; Hansel and Gretel.

A musical Grasshopper continues to play his violin while the Ant works hard to prepare for the winter. Later as winter arrives Grasshopper realizes he is not ready for winter and falls ill.

Short directed by Lotte Reiniger.

Silhouette animation prepared to be shown during a scene change of the Fritz Kreisler operetta "Sissi".

Silhouette animation prepared to be shown during a scene change of the Fritz Kreisler operetta "Sissi".

Silhouette animation prepared to be shown during a scene change of the Fritz Kreisler operetta "Sissi".

Silhouette animation prepared to be shown during a scene change of the Fritz Kreisler operetta "Sissi".

A love story set to a baroque score, HARLEQUIN is a delicate black-and-white ballet rendered through exquisitely detailed silhouettes.

The Parable of the Lost/ Prodigal Son as told by Lotte Reiniger.

An animated short film based on the famous fairytale by the Brothers Grimm about the enterprising cat in boots and a feather hat, who manages to procure for his poor master a princess, an ogre's castle, and a kingdom.

The first film directed by influential German-born silhouette animator Lotte Reiniger is delightfully reminiscent of a Valentine’s Day card come to life. Two lovers interact with an ornate background that shifts and changes in tandem with their own balletic movements as they express their feelings for each other.

The first film directed by influential German-born silhouette animator Lotte Reiniger is delightfully reminiscent of a Valentine’s Day card come to life. Two lovers interact with an ornate background that shifts and changes in tandem with their own balletic movements as they express their feelings for each other.

The Three Wise Men from the East follow the star to Bethlehem, but hostile spirits try to stop them on their journey.

The Three Wise Men from the East follow the star to Bethlehem, but hostile spirits try to stop them on their journey.

Taken from The Arabian Nights, a wicked sorcerer and the beautiful prince Achmed battle one against the other during a series of wondrous adventures.

Lotte Reiniger's earliest preserved fairytale film based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

The flower fairies help a little girl named Mary to thwart germs.

Silhouette film based on Perrault's fairy tale.

Silhouette film based on Perrault's fairy tale.

The flower fairies help a little girl named Mary to thwart germs.

"The Frog Prince" was one of several adaptations of Brothers Grimm fairytales that Lotte Reiniger made in London between 1953 and 1955: others include "The Gallant Little Tailor", "Hänsel and Gretel", "Sleeping Beauty", "Snow White and Rose Red" and "The Three Wishes".

Taken from The Arabian Nights, a wicked sorcerer and the beautiful prince Achmed battle one against the other during a series of wondrous adventures.

A king and queen celebrate their daughter’s birth, but a forgotten fairy curses her to die by pricking her finger on a spindle. Another fairy softens the curse, allowing her to sleep for a hundred years. Despite efforts to remove all spindles, the princess pricks her finger and falls asleep, along with the entire castle. A hundred years later, a prince awakens her with a kiss, reviving everyone. They marry, and the thorn hedge dissolves.

The first film directed by influential German-born silhouette animator Lotte Reiniger is delightfully reminiscent of a Valentine’s Day card come to life. Two lovers interact with an ornate background that shifts and changes in tandem with their own balletic movements as they express their feelings for each other.

Among Lotte Reiniger's commissioned pieces are several advertising films for the Julius Pinschewer agency, including: "Das Geheimnis der Marquisin" (The Secret of the Marquise) for Nivea skin cream and "Die Barcarole" (The Barcarole) for Pralinés Mauxion dessert. Other pieces commissioned by Pinschewer (e.g. a commercial for ink) are considered lost. "Die Barcarole" is an unusual take on the "Romeo and Juliet" theme, with the suitors arriving in Venetian gondolas (a barcarole is a musical piece whose measure is designed to resemble the swaying of a gondola).

Zehn Minuten Mozart was Reiniger's first attempt at merging silhouette animation with music.

Zehn Minuten Mozart was Reiniger's first attempt at merging silhouette animation with music.

Silhouette film. Based on Bizet’s opera “Carmen”.

Non-musical account of Puccini's opera: Tosca and Cavaradossi are in love, but the tyrant Scarpia desires Tosca and oppresses Cavaradossi who is fighting for freedom.

A wicked giant attempts to steal all of the instruments from a small town.

Based on Mozart’s The Seraglio.

Silhouette film – a version of Offenbach’s opera, “La belle Helene”.

Because Dummling has a good heart, fate leads him to a princess waiting for rescue.

Lotte Reiniger's last film, following the adventures of two kingdoms through the overseeing eye of a destiny-knitting witch.

One of Lotte Reiniger's very last animated silhouette films, issued both in French and English versions.

Silhouette animated film based on the novella "The Mohock and the Unicorn" by E. W. White. This is the original german version by Lotte Reiniger

Silhouette film illustrating the growth of wheeled traffic from the earliest tim es to the modern car.

Silhouette film based on Perrault's fairy tale.

The Three Wise Men from the East follow the star to Bethlehem, but hostile spirits try to stop them on their journey.

Lotte Reiniger was one of the twentieth century’s major animation artists, pioneering a distinctive style of black and white silhouette animation in her interpretations of classic myths and fairy tales. Reiniger began her career in Germany, making The Adventures of Prince Achmed, one of the first and most ingenious full-length animated films in the history of cinema. After the war, she moved to Britain with her husband Carl Koch and made short films for the GPO and later, in collaboration with Primrose Productions, an extensive series of famous fairy tale short films. This is a DVD collection of her work.

Film shows the story of Papageno (the one from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute"), who wants a mate, yet has difficulties getting one.

A love story set to a baroque score, HARLEQUIN is a delicate black-and-white ballet rendered through exquisitely detailed silhouettes.

Ping Pong receives a bottle of alcohol as a gift from the Emperor. When he gets drunk and chokes on a fish bone, no one in the city wants to take responsibility for his death.

After the grey city rain has turned to snow, we find ourselves together with a silhouette figure in the snow-covered mountains. Under the motto "Get on your skis", a winter sports experience for young and old begins - from ski jumping, figure skating and bobsleighing to mountain tours on skis. Animation techniques and documentary real film footage, in which the winter sports enthusiasts themselves often look like silhouetted figures against a white snow background, intertwine, overlap and merge into a cinematic winter snow experience.

After the grey city rain has turned to snow, we find ourselves together with a silhouette figure in the snow-covered mountains. Under the motto "Get on your skis", a winter sports experience for young and old begins - from ski jumping, figure skating and bobsleighing to mountain tours on skis. Animation techniques and documentary real film footage, in which the winter sports enthusiasts themselves often look like silhouetted figures against a white snow background, intertwine, overlap and merge into a cinematic winter snow experience.

Dr. Dolittle has arrived in the land of monkeys, where gorillas, orangutans, baboons and spiders await medical attention. But how can one do it alone? Luckily, the animals of the desert want to help.

In a house on the coast, Doktor Dolittle lives with a monkey, a little dog, a pig, a crocodile, a duck and a parrot. He knows the language of animals. A swallow flies to him and tells of a terrible disease among monkeys in distant Africa. Dolittle and his animals board a ship and begin a hilarious journey.

On his way inland, Dr. Dolittle and his animals encounter a nasty surprise. Natives capture them and hold them under lock and key.

On his way inland, Dr. Dolittle and his animals encounter a nasty surprise. Natives capture them and hold them under lock and key.

In a house on the coast, Doktor Dolittle lives with a monkey, a little dog, a pig, a crocodile, a duck and a parrot. He knows the language of animals. A swallow flies to him and tells of a terrible disease among monkeys in distant Africa. Dolittle and his animals board a ship and begin a hilarious journey.

Dr. Dolittle has arrived in the land of monkeys, where gorillas, orangutans, baboons and spiders await medical attention. But how can one do it alone? Luckily, the animals of the desert want to help.

The confrontation between two women - a choreographer of a successful troupe and a prima ballerina. Stung by the news of her upcoming dismissal, the prima begins to scheme..

A traveler comes into a town overrun with rats and vermin. He promises to free the place of the pests and names his price. When the townspeople refuse to pay him after he has done what he promised, he plays his tune again with consequences. This film survives in incomplete/fragmentary form.

A king and queen celebrate their daughter’s birth, but a forgotten fairy curses her to die by pricking her finger on a spindle. Another fairy softens the curse, allowing her to sleep for a hundred years. Despite efforts to remove all spindles, the princess pricks her finger and falls asleep, along with the entire castle. A hundred years later, a prince awakens her with a kiss, reviving everyone. They marry, and the thorn hedge dissolves.