Berthold Bartosch (29 December 1893 – 13 November 1968) was a film-maker, born in Polaun, in the Bohemia region of Austria-Hungary (now part of the Czech Republic).
Work with Lotte Reiniger
He moved to Berlin in 1920 and collaborated with Lotte Reiniger on her paper silhouette animations:
- The Ornament of the Loving Heart
- The Battle of Skagerrak
- The Adventures of Prince Achmed
- Doctor Dolittle
Bartosch created what some consider the first multiplane camera in order to achieve some of the effects for these films.
Early career
In 1911, Berthold Bartosch studied architecture in Vienna, where he met Erwin Hanslick, a teacher at the Fine Art School that was a crucial influence for Bartosch. Hanslick proposed Bartosch collaborate in educational animated films "for the masses", and Bartosch accepted. They created geographical and politically oriented films, which were the only apprenticeship that Bartosch received.
In 1919, Bartosch opened a branch of Hanslick's production company in Berlin, where he met other artists including Berthold Brecht and Jean Renoir. At that time, he collaborated with Lotte Reiniger on Prince Achmed.