The Sinking of the ‘Lusitania’

In 1915, the ‘Lusitania’ sailed from New York’s shores to land in London, ignoring the blockade imposed by the Germans who were marking the waters adjacent to Britain as a war zone, as well as stating that ‘vessels flying the flag of Great Britain or any of her allies are liable to destruction once they enter those same waters’. Struck by a torpedo from a German submarine, the British liner sank, taking over a thousand civilians with it. As no photographic evidence exists, McCay reconstructed the scene with the aid of animated sequences: this is the first animated documentary film in the history of cinema.