Lotte Reiniger was a groundbreaking German filmmaker and one of the earliest pioneers in animation, celebrated for her silhouette film technique. Born in Berlin, she first trained in acting but was soon drawn to animation, inspired by director Max Reinhardt’s theatrical effects. Reiniger joined Berlin’s Institut für Kulturforschung, collaborating with avant-garde artists like Walter Ruttmann and Berthold Bartosch and aligning with figures like Bertolt Brecht. In 1926, she created "The Adventures of Prince Achmed", the oldest surviving animated feature, using hand-cut, shadow-inspired figures that gave her work a delicate, flowing quality.

Reiniger’s approach combined Chinese shadow puppetry with European fairy-tale themes, blending artistry and storytelling with progressive social nuances. Her work subtly defied norms, depicting one of the earliest on-screen kisses between men. Collaborating extensively with her husband Carl Koch, she later worked in France and England to escape Nazi Germany, creating beloved animations that laid foundational groundwork for the art form.

As a queer woman and an innovative artist in a male-dominated field, Reiniger’s legacy endures, influencing generations with her commitment to inventive, hand-crafted storytelling. Her work remains celebrated for its artistic ingenuity and its foundational role in early cinema Animation. (hs)