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Oldest Surviving Animated Film To Screen In Cairo

At nearly a century old, this German fairy tale film has weathered the ravages of time for all to enjoy. And it's getting a Cairo screening at Cimatheque now.

Staff Writer

Oldest Surviving Animated Film To Screen In Cairo

Wonderful news for those among us into all things vintage and colourful; the oldest surviving animated feature film in human history, The Adventures Of Prince Achmed, or as it's originally known, 'Die Abenteur Des Prinzen Achmed', is set to screen at the Cimatheque Alternative Film Center in Downtown.

The film, which tells the tale of a dashing prince riding his flying horse to far away lands on whimsical adventures, is the most well known work of German director and silhouette animation pioneer Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger from way back in 1926, with a host of distinguished avant-garde aimators of the time also working on the film like Walter Ruttmann, Bethold Bartosh, and Carl Koch.

The restoration of the film was particularly challenging seeing as there were no original German nitrate prints to make use of. But luckily, an effort by a group of creative German and British archivists managed to restore the film along with its original colour tinting during 1998 and 1999.

With a beautiful and nostalgic silhouetted animation technique, designed by Reiniger, involving manipulating cut-outs made of cardboard as well as lead under a camera, the film is a magical journey taking elements from One Thousand and One Nights and is a must see for anyone into silent film, ancient animation and quality cinema.

Be sure to catch The Adventures Of Prince Achmed at the Cimatheque Alternative Film Center on the 23rd of December at 4 PM.