"She was born with magic hands."
French filmmaker Jean Renoir on Lotte Reiniger

Born in 1899 in Berlin, Lotte Reiniger is a pioneer of animation film. She spent much of her life creating unique silhouette animation, including The Adventures of Prince Achmed, the world's first feature-length animated film. With the advent of sound, Reiniger made a series of short films set to Mozart’s music.

Modern audiences seem to have an aversion to viewing silhouette animation until they've seen the films of Reiniger, which breathe pure cinematic magic. In all likelihood, there will never be a silhouette animator who will match Reiniger's skill, vision, and patience, and her films may remain a unique testament to the achievements of this art form.

35 mm film print courtesy British Film Institute, London & British Council, Mumbai.