A Trip to the Moon, known in its original French as "Le Voyage dans la Lune," is a pioneering silent film directed by Georges Méliès. Released in 1902, it is widely considered one of the first science fiction films and an early example of narrative cinema.
The film tells the story of a group of astronomers, led by Professor Barbenfouillis, who embark on a journey to the Moon. They are launched from Earth in a capsule shot from a large cannon. Upon landing, they explore the lunar landscape, encounter the Selenites (inhabitants of the Moon), and eventually return to Earth by crashing into the ocean. The film's plot draws inspiration from several sources, including Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon and H. G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon.
Méliès used innovative special effects for his time, including stop-motion animation, multiple exposures, and hand-tinting each frame to add color. These techniques were groundbreaking and helped establish many of the conventions of film special effects.
The film's iconic imagery, especially the scene where the spacecraft lands in the eye of the moon, has become deeply embedded in popular culture. This image has been referenced in numerous films, TV shows, and even music videos, making A Trip to the Moon one of the most influential pieces of early cinema.
In 2011, a hand-colored print of the film was discovered in Spain, which led to a high-quality restoration project backed by Lobster Films, Technicolor, and Fondation Jerome Seydoux-Pathé. This restored version was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.