Week 3

Hello again everybody, this week I am talking about the first feature film in the story and the first animated feature length too. Hope you enjoy it.

The first feature film.

There is debate about which is the first feature film in history, because there are two films that dispute the title of the first feature film, although their premieres take 3 years apart. But let's see that next.

Lubin's Passion Play

First up is the American delivery, produced by Philadelphia-based Lubin Manufacturing Company. Their great leap to fame occurred in January 1903 when they premiered "Lubin's Passion Play", their own representation of the "Passion". Although it lasted just over 60 minutes, which would currently be considered a medium-length film, at the time it was a very long time for what was considered a feature film.

The reason why there is doubt that this is the first feature film is because the film was divided into thirty-one parts, whose union delivered the entire story, so for many it is not considered a feature film.

Story Of The Kelly Gang

The second contender for the title of first feature film in history is the Australian film that followed the story of that nation's famous outlaw, Ned Kelly. This tape was released on December 26, 1906, just 25 years after Kelly died on the gallows, but more importantly, three years after the premiere of "Lubin's Passion Play".

The reason why it is considered the first feature film by many is that when it was released years after the other film, this film, unlike its predecessor, was not divided into parts, with more than 1,200 meters of tape, which make up the more than 60 minutes. of the movie. In fact, according to UNESCO's 'Memory of the World', "Story Of The Kelly Gang" is marked as the first feature film in history, at least officially, so this discussion could be closed.

The First Animated Feature Length

When one speaks of the first animated film, surely one thinks of a Disney film, but the reality is that the first animated feature film was made by the Italian-Argentinean Quirino Cristiani, who is the creator of the first two animated feature films and the first feature film of sound animation of the story.

Today I will only focus on Cristiani's first feature film, “El Apóstol”.

El Apóstol is a 1917 lost Argentine animated film using cutout animation, directed Italian-Argentine immigrant Quirino Cristiani. 

Historians consider it the world's first animated feature film. The film began production after the success of Cristiani short film, "La intervención a la provincia de Buenos Aires", and was produced in less than ten months or in twelve months; accounts differ.

El Apóstol is a satire based on Argentina's president at the time, Hipólito Yrigoyen. In the film, Yrigoyen dreams about going to Mount Olympus and discussing politics with the gods before using one of Zeus's lightning bolts to cleanse Buenos Aires of corruption. It was well received at the time in Buenos Aires, it was not distributed in other Argentine provinces or other countries.

Despite the great historical value of the film, it is lost, because in 1926 a fire destroyed the feature film that was in a studio. Since the film was only released in Buenos Aires, only the residents of the city at that time were able to see the film and because of that there are few details of the plot of the film.

Un vídeo sobre “El Apóstol”

That’s all for this week. Did you already know something about these movies?

If you did not know these data, what did you think?