Caption: Theodore and Natalie, following in the footsteps of early 20th century animation pioneers.
Mrs. Sefranka's first grade class engaged in a research project last week. The children were instructed to write a report about a famous woman, and create a project reflective of this woman's life.
Theodore's choice: the pioneering filmmaker and silhouette artist Lotte Reiniger, whose "Adventures of Prince Achmed" captivated the Berlin vanguard in the late 1920s, and who later fled fascist Germany for the creative oasis of the United Kingdom. Obvious choice, you say? Well, Theodore has plenty of time to learn about more obscure historical figures in high school and college.
In the photo above, we see Theodore creating his own version of Prince Achmed's flying horse. With it, and other silhouette cut outs, Theodore fashioned a collection of his own animation "stills" to share with his class. (On the computer screen, you see a scene from Reininger's 1926 film, which he used as a model.)
Natalie so loves her brother that she, too, spent much of Sunday creating silhouettes from the tales of the Arabian Nights.
When asked about his presentation to his class, Theodore seemed very proud: "Mrs. Sefranka didn't even know about Lotte Reiniger," he said.
