The best remembered film of Georges Méliès, this film was such a success upon its early release that it was one of the first films to be bootlegged*. Based loosely on Jules Vernes' From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon.

Professor Barbenfouillis and five brave astronomers - Nostradamus, Alcofrisbas, Omega, Micromegas and Parafaragaramus - have decided to go to the moon, gifting us with that iconic image of the rocket hitting the face of the lunar surface directly in the eye.

The learned men that do make it to the moon have no issue crushing its natives, the insect Selenites, literally exploding them with just a casual push. After running wild through many of their number, the astronauts - who had been awakened by the gentle swinging of Phoebe goddess of the moon just hours earlier - escape back to Earth, enjoying a parade where they lead a captured alien through the streets as a banner unfurls with the legend labor omnia vincit (work conquers all).

Film scholar Matthew Solomon has written that Méliès, who was previously an anti-Boulangist political cartoonist, used this adventure and science fiction film as a parable within which to decry imperialistic domination. His conquering heroes aren't really scientists and smart men, but dolts who hurt everyone they meet and still return to a hero's welcome.

While there are black and white versions of this film, the one that played Fantastic Fest had the hand tinted colors that were created by Elisabeth Thuillier's lab, which would make up to sixty prints of certain films, giving them an otherworldly quality which is perfect for this essential piece of cinema.

The version that played Fantastic Fest has the score interpreted by House of Waters, which features "Jimi Hendrix of Hammered Dulcimer" Max ZT, Moto Fukushim and Ignacio Rivas Bixio.

*By Thomas Edison!

"Le voyage dans la lune" (1902, Georges Méliès) is loosely based on a story by Jules Verne. It also contains a little Greek mythology in that the inhabitants of the moon (Selenieten) are named after Selene, the Goddess of the moon.

The poster with the moon having a rocket ship in his eye is iconographic. The film itself is mainly of historical importance, but this historical importance is big.

Georges Méliès was one of the founding fathers of early cinema. He pioneered in special effects and made a start with film editing. His roots were in vaudeville theater. This can be seen in "Le voyage dans la lune" when the launching of the rocket ship is festively accompanied by a couple of cheerleader like girls.

Thanks to the initiatives of his countrymen the Pathé brothers film did outgrow the vaudeville format and got a theater of his own, called a cinema. Méliès fell into oblivion and got financial problems. Only due to a rediscovery in 1929 he could spend his last years carefree.