Abstract shapes dance on a dark screen, a silent symphony of color and movement.

Created by Walter Ruttmann, Lichtspiel Opus I (1921) pulsates with a captivating dance of geometric forms – circles, squares, and waves – awash in vibrant colors against a dark background.

This groundbreaking appro...

Abstract film plays with light & shapes, building on innovations from Opus I.

Created using a unique oil-on-glass animation technique, Walter Ruttmann's Lichtspiel Opus II (1922) is a visual and rhythmic exploration of abstract shapes. Angular lines dance with organic forms, creating a dynamic ...

Bright shapes move against a dark background in the third part of the series.

Created by German filmmaker Walter Ruttmann, Lichtspiel Opus III (1924) is a purely visual experience. Ruttmann utilizes a technique of manipulating shapes and colors on film, resulting in a dynamic interplay of abstra...

Abstract shapes dance to a beat, creating a visual symphony in the final installment of the series.

Walter Ruttmann's Lichtspiel Opus IV (1925) utilizes a technique of hand-painted geometric shapes on film stock, creating a dynamic interplay of form and movement. Opus IV is part of a series of ...

Koko the Clown stumbles on levers controlling Earth's weather then accidentally destroys everything.

Koko's Earth Control (1928), a silent era cartoon by Fleischer Studios, features Koko the Clown, a popular character who often interacted with the real world. In this instance, Koko stumbles upon...

In this ad for Excelsior tires by Ruttmann, geometric shapes attack but the tire remains undamaged.

Walk into the world of early abstraction with Walther Ruttmann's Der Sieger (1922). This brief, silent animation pushes the boundaries of traditional cinema, exemplifying the spirit of experimenta...

Spinning discs & suggestive puns challenge film & language in this Dada masterpiece. Anemic Cinema (1926) by Marcel Duchamp embodies the spirit of experimental film.

Instead of a narrative or actors, the film presents a playful sequence of spinning discs. These discs, called "Rotoreliefs" by Du...

Abstract shapes dance across the screen in this early animation that explores movement and rhythm.

Symphonie Diagonale, a groundbreaking 1923 work by Viking Eggeling, abandons traditional storytelling altogether, focusing instead on the visual language of cinema itself. Abstract geometric shape...

A magic hand draws a wacky stick figure on a chalkboard adventure.

Step into the world of early animation with Émile Cohl's Fantasmagorie (1908). This brief film, a whimsical chase featuring a stick-figure clown, is much more than just a cartoon. It's a landmark experiment that pushed the bounda...

Nemo dreams wild in Slumberland, battling foes & riding blooms.

Winsor McCay, inspired by the simple flip book, hand-drew a staggering 4,000 frames to bring his popular comic strip characters to life in the 1911 film, Little Nemo.

Little Nemo's innovation lies in its expressiveness. Unlike the...

Mickey navigates chaos on a steamboat, charming Minnie & battling bossy captain with slapstick.

Steamboat Willie (1928) holds an important place in the history of animation thanks to its groundbreaking use of sound. Created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, Steamboat Willie was one of the first cart...

Popeye & Sindbad meet, vie for Olive & title. Friendly rivalry leads to unlikely teamwork & escape.

Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936) might seem like a typical Popeye cartoon, but this Fleischer Studios production was a major leap forward in animation techniques, expanding the li...

1925 silent film turns cinema into puzzle game, showing clues then answers for crossword.

Unlike traditional films, Rebus Film Nr. 1 (1925), a short and playful experiment by German director Paul Leni, doesn't tell a story. Instead, it functions as a two-part interactive puzzle for the audience....

A waiter's dream turns his cafe into a wacky, nightmarish hallucination.

The Hasher's Delirium, a short animation by Émile Cohl released in 1910, rejects realism in favor of a wild and expressive style. The film depicts the fantastical dreams of a café waiter, where objects morph and characters ...