Among the earliest animated features, this Arabian Nights fable is a joy to behold.
Three years in the making and comprising some 300,000 individual frames, Lotte Reiniger's silhouette masterpiece remains unchallenged in terms of its exquisite beauty and experimental audacity.
The expressive figures, balletic movements, contrasts of light and shade and dramatic backdrops are very impressive. It was also technically significant, as it witnessed the invention of the multi-plane camera stand.