Beyond Prince Achmed

New Perspectives on Animation Pioneer Lotte Reiniger

Lotte Reiniger (1899-1981) is a renowned animation pioneer and silhouette artist. The first to this date preserved feature-length animation film The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), the construction of the first multi-plane camera and the collaboration with avant-garde artists have secured her place in animation history. Beyond Prince Achmed shows the richness there is still to be discovered about Reiniger and her art. It introduces discourses through which the established perception of this animation pioneer, her contribution to the history of animation and her persisting influence on new generations of animation artists and popular culture can be re-framed and expanded. Topics explored include Reiniger’s public image and creation of a distinct brand; her interest in psychoanalysis and the role of the shadow for the interpretation of her silhouette animation films; the silhouette as a specific form in Reiniger’s artistic work and writing; the development of her aesthetic language during the 1920s in the context of Orientalism; Reiniger’s role in British film culture of the 1930s; and her influence on artists such as Bruno J. Böttge and contemporary animators from Asia. A wealth of artistic and written material by Reiniger from various archives enriches the collection.