Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (1h 5min.)

With stories from One Thousand and One Nights as its foundation, the now century-old The Adventures of Prince Achmed unfolds as an enchanting shadow play. Figures with moving limbs cut from black paper dance against brightly colored backgrounds — an innovative technique from before color film even existed. Three years of work went into this stop-motion spectacle, which originates from the silent film era and remains the oldest surviving animated feature in film history. To breathe new life into this visual masterpiece, Dutch composer Steven Kamperman created a custom score. Inspired by Middle Eastern maqams and steeped in blues and improvisation, his ensemble takes the viewer on an unforgettable journey. Hypnotic desert melodies and thundering percussion transform this silent film into a mesmerizing experience.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed, directed by Lotte Reiniger, first hit the big screen in 1926. Originally titled Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed, the film was of course silent, but Dutch composer Steven Kamperman has since written a soundtrack around it that he and Hamid Reza Behzadian from Iran and Esat Ekincioğlu from Turkey brought to life together.