Template:Short description Template:Infobox film El Apóstol (English: The Apostle) is a 1917 lost Argentine animated film using cutout animation. Italian-Argentine immigrants Quirino Cristiani and Federico Valle directed and produced, respectively. Historians consider it the world's first animated feature film. The film began production after the success of Cristiani and Valle's short film, La intervención a la provincia de Buenos Aires, and was produced either in less than ten months or in twelve months; accounts differ. Its script was written by Alfonso de Laferrére, the background models of Buenos Aires were created by Template:Ill, and the initial character designs were drawn by Diógenes Taborda.
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. Well-received at the time in Buenos Aires, it was not distributed in other Argentine provinces or other countries. The film was destroyed in a 1926 fire in Valle's studio.
Plot
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.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Production
Background
Valle was an industrial-film producer who produced a newsreel, Actualidades Valle.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". He hired Quirino Cristiani, known at the time for caricatures in daily newspapers, to help animate an experimental political vignette for Valle's newsreel. They made La intervención a la provincia de Buenos Aires (English: Intervention in the Province of Bueno Aires), a one-minute sketch ridiculing governor Marcelino Ugarte.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The film used paper-cut animationScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". which Cristiani learned from a film by Émile Cohl.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Although many Argentine sources identify the release of La intervención a la provincia de Buenos Aires as 1916, its actual release date is unknown.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The film was a success.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Writing and animation
After the success of La intervención a la provincia de Buenos Aires in 1916,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Valle began working on a full-length political satire film which became El Apóstol.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". El Apóstol was a satire based on President Yrigoyen.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Valle hired Alfonso de Laferrére to write the script, and Andrés Ducaus to build 3D models of buildings in Buenos Aires.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Laferrere asked Cristiani if he would be interested in being the principal animator (equivalent to directing);Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Cristiani said yes, but he would need help due to the amount of work required.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The animation method would be identical to that of La intervención a la provincia de Buenos Aires.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
To attract publicity, Valle hired the popular cartoonist Diógenes "El Mono" Taborda.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Taborda liked the idea of bringing his caricatures to life, and gave Cristiani sketches of the characters.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Cristiani was dismayed, however; although he thought they were good, they were too rigid and detailed for him to animate.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Taborda left the production, daunted by the amount of work needed to complete the film, but allowed Cristiani to make his drawings simpler and easier to animate.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". It is unknown how long El Apóstol took to produce, but it was quick for an animated film;Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". production was estimated at less than ten months,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". or twelve months.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[1] A total of 58,000 frames were filmed, which clocked in at one hour and ten minutes.[2]
Sound
The film featured synchronized sound using a system Cristiani himself devised, predating Disney's first sound-synchronized animated work, Steamboat Willie, by nearly a decade.[3]
Release and reception
El Apóstol was released on November 9, 1917, at the Cine Select-Suipacha.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The film was successful in Buenos Aires,[4] with many newspapers favorably reviewing the film.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The destruction of Buenos Aires near the end of the film was considered its most impressive scene.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". It was so successful that it was shown several times daily for six monthsScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". before it was banned by the Buenos Aires town council as a caricature of the current political situation.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Because it appealed primarily to Buenos Aires residents, it was not distributed elsewhere in Argentina or abroad. As a result, it was not well-known at the time.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Legacy
El Apóstol became known as the first animated feature-length film.[1]Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[4][5] Quirino Cristiani reportedly received little credit for the film; he was paid $1,000, and received a small opening credit.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Cristiani left Federico Valle due to Valle's interference with his work,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and Valle never made another animated feature film.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Cristiani worked on many animated short films during his career,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[5] and at least two other animated feature films: Sin dejar rastros (Without Leaving a Trace)Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and Peludópolis.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Sin dejar rastros was based on the sinking of an Argentine merchant ship by a German submarine which was blamed on the Allies in an attempt to get Argentina to enter World War I; however, President Yrigoyen kept the country neutral.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The film was shown for one day (May 17, 1918)Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". before it was confiscated by the Ministry of Foreign AffairsScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". to avoid inflaming public opinion and creating more problems between Argentina and Germany,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and was never seen again.[5]Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Peludópolis, produced from 1928 to 1931Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and the world's first animated feature-length sound film,[6]Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". satirized the greed of Yrigoyen and his ministers.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The film, about a group of pirates led by El Peludo who hijack a ship and sail it to Republica Quesolandia (the Republic of Cheeseland),Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". had a troubled production history due to its political content (necessitating a new ending).Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Released on September 16 (or 18), 1931,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". it was not well-receivedScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". as the Great Depression struck Argentina.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Cristiani withdrew Peludópolis from circulation in 1933, after Yriyogen's death, and retired from the animation industry in 1941.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
A 1926 fire destroyed Valle's film studio, including his equipmentScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and the only known copy of El Apóstol. It is now considered a lost film.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[5][6] Cristiani's studio burned down twice (in 1958 and 1961),[5]Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[6][2] and most of his work is currently lost.[5] The only surviving animated film on which Cristiani worked is El Mono relojero, which used cels and did not reflect most of his other work.[5] Available information about El Apóstol comes from Argentine film records, the Cristiani family archives, and Cristiani's memories as recorded by Giannalberto Bendazzi.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[2][6]