24 frames per second - Lotte Reiniger: Pioneer of animated film

A biographical novel by Rike Reiniger about Lotte Reiniger, a pioneer of animated film.

Berlin, 1926: Glamorous actresses, eccentric film directors, scandalous dancers, and communist authors thronged the packed auditorium of the Volksbühne theater to see a fairy tale film. The young animator Lotte Reiniger was presenting "The Adventures of Prince Achmed," the first full-length animated film—a sensation! In the vibrant art scene of the Weimar Republic, her enchanting silhouettes catapulted her to stardom overnight. Rike Reiniger's captivating biographical novel tells the story of how Lotte Reiniger concealed her love for another woman to achieve this success and pursued her dream of creating another great animated film, even in the restlessness of exile.

"After one last beer and one last shot of schnapps, the colleagues say their goodbyes and head out into the spring night. Lotte stands alone in the open square in front of the theater. Is this how stories have to end? Across the street, the Spree flows dark and dirty. A late train crosses the S-Bahn bridge, startling the birds in their roost. A black-headed gull flies off with a screech. Lotte watches it go. No, stories can end differently. Stories can fly away."