The Adventures of Prince Achmed

The Adventures of Prince Achmed German Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed is a 1926 German animated fairytale film by Lotte Reiniger. It is the oldest surviving animated feature film two earlier ones were made in Argentina by Quirino Cristiani, but they are considered lost. The Adventures of Prince Achmed features a silhouette animation technique Reiniger had invented which involved manipulated cutouts made from cardboard and thin sheets of lead under a camera. The technique she used for the camera is similar to Wayang shadow puppets, though hers were animated frame by frame, not manipulated in live action. The original prints featured color tinting.

An African magician der afrikanische Zauberer conjures up a flying horse, which he shows to the Caliph. When the magician refuses to sell it for any amount of gold, the Caliph offers any treasure he has. The magician chooses Dinarsade, the Caliphs daughter, to her great distress. Prince Achmed, Dinarsades brother, objects, but the magician persuades him to try out the horse. It carries the prince away, higher and higher into the sky, as he does not know how to control it. The Caliph has the magician imprisoned.When Achmed discovers how to make the horse descend, he finds himself in a strange foreign land. He is greeted by a bevy of attractive women. When they begin fighting for his attention, he flies away to a lake. There, he watches as Peri Banu, the beautiful ruler of the land of Wak Wak, arrives with her attendants to bathe. When they spot him, they all fly away, except for Peri Banu, for Achmed has her magical flying feather costume. She flees on foot, but he captures her. He gains her trust when he returns her feathers. They fall in love. She warns him, however, that the demons of Wak Wak will try to kill him. ........

Source: Wikipedia