The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) by Lotte Reiniger

Opening Weekend

Historical animated film with live music

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
by Lotte Reiniger

Screenplay and direction: Lotte Reiniger
Cinematography: Carl Koch
Design and animation: Lotte Reiniger
Collaboration: Walther Ruttmann, Berthold Bartosch, Alexander Kardan, Walter Türck - Production: Comenius-Film Berlin/Louis Hagen
Duration: 66 mins, b/w and colour
Music: Walther Giger (world premiere 20 June 2026, 100th anniversary of Kino Schwanen, Stein am Rhein)

To mark its 100th anniversary, we are screening the world’s oldest surviving feature-length animated film. ‘The Adventures of Prince Achmed’ was produced over a three-year period from 1923 to 1926 using an elaborate paper-cutout technique by the German film pioneer Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981). When one considers that 24 individual frames are required for a single second, one can appreciate the sheer scale of the achievement behind this animation film, which is unique in film history. In total, around 250,000 individual frames were shot, 100,000 of which were used in the film. Lotte Reiniger was far ahead of her time and influenced many later animators

Based on motifs from the ‘Tales of 1001 Nights’, the film tells the story in five acts of Prince Achmed, who rides a flying horse to distant lands, befriends a witch, fights demons and falls in love with a princess

Swiss composer Walther Giger has composed a new score for this silhouette film – music for violin and harp. It will be performed live and accompany the action from the first to the last frame.

Performed by: Nicole Hitz Ruppel (violin) and Marta Ruppel (harp).

A masterpiece! She was born with magical hands. (Jean Renoir on Lotte Reininger)

Introduction at 4.30 pm

Followed by Arabic food with Tablya

Further information: https://www.lottereiniger.de/index.php