Director
'The Star of Bethlehem' tells the Christmas story in the style of medieval nativity plays. The Three Wise Men from the East follow the star to Bethlehem, but hostile spirits try to stop them on their journey. The King Herod fears the child in the manger, and seeks to kill it, but an angel prevents his evil intentions. The film is an example of how Lotte Reiniger has her silhouette technique enriched by coloured acetate films. The backgrounds have the vibrancy of coloured stained glass windows.
Director
Wishing to take power for himself, a magician tricks his nephew, The Caliph of Baghdad, into sniffing a powder which turns him into a stork.
Production Manager
Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina told the tale of a tiny girl grown from seed to be a companion to an old woman, Reiniger has her Thumbelina born spontaneously and magically from a flower, beholden to none but herself.
Screenplay
A greedy woman tries to poison her nephew's bride in a dark mansion.
