Between Whistles and Flutes

Argentine animated film utilizing cutout animation, and the world's first animated feature film. Currently considered a lost film. Argentine president Hipólito Yrigoyen dreams about ascending to Olympus dressed as an apostle. He speaks with the gods about the deeds and misdeeds of the porteños, and how they laugh at him and every political program he sets up. A few congressmen appear, and express their positions. Yrigoyen discusses the level of chaos in the capital administration with the gods, and the government's financial situation. After the discussion, Yrigoyen asks Zeus for lightning bolts to cleanse Buenos Aires of immorality and corruption. Zeus grants his request; lightning bolts consume the city's main buildings, and Yrigoyen awakens.

The true incident of the German U-Boat which torpedoed an Argentine ship to make Argentina declare war on the Allies. The film was not as successful as Cristiani's previous film, The Apostle from 1917, since Without a Trace was confiscated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by order of President Hipólito Yrigoyen and purportedly destroyed. It is unknown if any copies of the film exist, and it is currently considered a lost film.

El Mono relojero is a 1938 Argentine animated short film directed by Quirino Cristiani. It is the only film from this director that exists up to this day, since all his other productions (including the first two animated feature films, El Apóstol (1917) and Sin dejar rastros (1918), as well as the first animated film with sound, Peludópolis (1931)) were lost in a series of fires at the facilities where the negatives and copies were stored.

A wry political satire rendered in early animation, Los Que Ligan uses humor and caricature to explore the aftermath of World War I through the lens of global diplomacy. Focusing on the power plays between England, Germany, France, and Argentina in the wake of the League of Nations' postwar sanctions, Cristiani crafts a sharp, animated allegory that critiques the fragile nature of international relations and Argentina’s place on the world stage. One of the only surviving works by pioneering animator Quirino Cristiani, Los Que Ligan is especially significant for showcasing the wry, politically charged humor that defined his career. Long thought lost, the film was rediscovered during research for Gabriele Zucchelli’s 2008 documentary “Quirino Cristiani: The Mystery of the First Animated Movies”, offering modern audiences a rare glimpse into Cristiani’s legacy and the early history of animated political cinema.

Animated gags made by Quirino Cristiani, Argentina's foundational animator.