Gabriele Zucchelli

Quirino Cristiani: The Mystery of the First Animated Movies

Gabriele Zucchelli

Who made the first animated feature film? Today forgotten, Quirino Cristiani discovered the craft of animation on his own, far from the experimental artists of Europe or the commercial imperatives and glamour of Hollywood. 'El Apóstol', the first ever animated movie, opened in a cinema in Buenos Aires in 1917. In 1931, Cristiani's genius and industry resulted in another breakthrough when he produced 'Peludópolis', the first animated feature film with sound. This documentary shows what's left of his work, a lost interview and 2 shorts that have been re-discovered during the making of this film.