Lotte Reiniger's beautiful silhouettes in "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (Germany, 1926) is a historical treasure. Hailed as the first feature-length animated film, this silent masterpiece was created from highly-detailed cutouts. The story is adapted from Arabian Nights and plays out as an advanced shadow puppet show, though shot frame by frame with color tints. The film itself is a copy from a copy, as Lotte fled Germany to escape the Nazis, but you still see the brilliance of the artistry. The artwork is stunning and is reminiscent of Chinese paper cutouts and Tibetan puppets. You could view a couple clips from Youtube here and here.
