El Apóstol (lost Argentinian first feature animated film; 1917): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:33, 19 March 2016

A fan-made poster for the film.

Status: Lost

El Apostol (aka The Apostle) was an Argentinian silent black-and-white animated film released in 1917.^[1] It was directed, written, designed and animated by Quirino Cristiani, whose two other animated features are also lost (Sin dejar rastros and Peludópolis). Instead of using traditional cellulose animation, Cristiani would use flat puppets with rotating/removable members. Character designs were made by Diógenes Taborda, a popular cartoonist at the time.

It is considered to be the first animated feature (being 70 minutes long with a frame-rate of 14 images per second), but all known copies were destroyed in a fire in 1926.

The film was a political satire about then-Argentinian-president Hipolito Yrigoyen, wanting to cleanse Bueno Aires of immorality and corruption. Yrigoyen flies into heaven and encounters the god of thunder, Jupiter. Using his lightning bolts, Yrigoyen strikes Bueno Aires and the city is engulfed in flames, burning into ashes, before he decides to start rebuilding the city. He then awakens, finding out that this was all a dream and is forced to face the harsh reality of complicated politics.

No stills or posters of the film remain, apart from a few character designs by Taborda and a photograph of the Buenos Aires model, as seen below. Cristiani would later make another political satire animated feature about Yrigoyen: Peludopolis.

Gallery

Character design of Irigoyen for the film, by Diógenes Taborda.
Another character design by Diógenes Taborda.
Model of Buenos Aires used for the ending.

References

↑ Page about Quirino Cristiani (also source of pictures) Retrieved 18 Mar '16.

[1] Page about Quirino Cristiani (also source of pictures) Retrieved 18 Mar '16.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''''El Apostol''''' (aka ''The Apostle'') was an Argentinian silent black-and-white animated film released in 1917.
+{{InfoboxLost
+|title=<center>El Apostol</center>
+|image=El apostol-poster.jpg
+|imagecaption=A fan-made poster for the film.
+|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
+}}
-It was directed, written, designed and animated by Quirino Cristiani, whose two other animated features he made are lost as well. Character designs were made by Diógenes Taborda, a popular cartoonist at the time. Instead of using traditional cellulose animation, Cristiani would use flat puppets with rotating/removable members.
+'''''El Apostol''''' (aka ''The Apostle'') was an Argentinian silent black-and-white animated film released in 1917.<ref>[http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.4/articles/bendazzi1.4.html Page about Quirino Cristiani (also source of pictures)] Retrieved 18 Mar '16.</ref> It was directed, written, designed and animated by Quirino Cristiani, whose two other animated features are also lost ([[Sin dejar rastros (Lost 1918 Animated Film)|Sin dejar rastros]] and [[Peludopolis_(lost_animated_film;_1931)|Peludópolis]]). Instead of using traditional cellulose animation, Cristiani would use flat puppets with rotating/removable members. Character designs were made by Diógenes Taborda, a popular cartoonist at the time.
-It is considered to be the first ever animated feature in history (being 70 minutes long, with a frame-rate of 14 images per second), but all known copies have been destroyed in a fire in 1926.
+It is considered to be the first animated feature (being 70 minutes long with a frame-rate of 14 images per second), but all known copies were destroyed in a fire in 1926.
-The plot would have been a political satire, about then-Argentinian-president Hipolito Yrigoyen, wanting to cleanse Bueno Aires of immorality and corruption; he mounts into heaven and encounters the god of thunder Jupiter himself. Using his lightning bolts, Yrigoyen strikes Bueno Aires and the city is engulfed in flames, burning into ashes. Content, he decides to start anew, but then awakens, finding out that this was all a dream and is forced to face the harsh reality of complicated politics.
+The film was a political satire about then-Argentinian-president Hipolito Yrigoyen, wanting to cleanse Bueno Aires of immorality and corruption. Yrigoyen flies into heaven and encounters the god of thunder, Jupiter. Using his lightning bolts, Yrigoyen strikes Bueno Aires and the city is engulfed in flames, burning into ashes, before he decides to start rebuilding the city. He then awakens, finding out that this was all a dream and is forced to face the harsh reality of complicated politics.
-The fire scenes of the climax would have actually been filmed live, with models built by architect Andrés Ducaud.
+No stills or posters of the film remain, apart from a few character designs by Taborda and a photograph of the Buenos Aires model, as seen below. Cristiani would later make another political satire animated feature about Yrigoyen: [[Peludopolis (lost animated film; 1931)|''Peludopolis'']].
-No cel or poster of the film remain, apart from a few character designs by Taborda and a photograph of the Buenos Aires model.
+==Gallery==
-Cristiani would later make another political satire animated feature starring Yrigoyen: [[Peludopolis (lost animated film; 1931)|''Peludopolis'']].
 <gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
 File:Irigoyen.gif|Character design of Irigoyen for the film, by Diógenes Taborda.
@@ Line 17: / Line 21: @@
 </gallery>
-Other lost animated films by Quirino Cristiani include:
-*[[Sin dejar rastros (Lost 1918 Animated Film)|Sin dejar rastros]]
-*[[Peludopolis_(lost_animated_film;_1931)|Peludópolis]]
 ==References==
+<references/>
-http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.4/articles/bendazzi1.4.html Page about Quirino Cristiani (also source of pictures)
 [[Category:Lost animation]]
 [[Category:Lost films]]