At the same time as the performances of the opera “The Magic Flute” at the Teatro Real, with a spectacular staging inspired by shadow theater performances, Casa Árabe is paying homage to this type of stagecraft, which is a cultural tradition with a major presence in many Arab countries. “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” is considered the oldest animated feature film still preserved (it premiered in 1926). The plot is based on tales from “The Arabian Nights,” above all the story of Prince Achmed and the fairy Peri Banu, who can also be found in “The Blue Fairy Book” by Andrew Lang. The film tells the story of how the prince, with the help of Aladdin, the Fire Mountain Witch and a magical horse, fights against an African sorcerer to win over Peri Banu’s hand in marriage. The day when the great caliph’s birthday is celebrated in the city, the mighty sorcerer shows up and boasts the miracle he has worked: a horse that can fly through the air, which the caliph will wish to possess no matter what the cost.

Film information sheet

The opera “The Magic Flute,” composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the late eighteenth century, is playing at the Teatro Real in Madrid from now until February 24. Further information