This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film we’re travelling back to 1902 with Georges Méliès’ visionary masterpiece A Trip to the Moon. From the influence of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to Méliès’ own background as a stage magician, we explore how one short film shaped cinema as we know it. We dive into the creation of the iconic “rocket in the moon’s eye” shot, the hand-painted colour prints, the Selenites’ acrobatics, and the huge cost of mounting such an ambitious production. We’ll also discover how the film was pirated around the world, why Méliès died in relative obscurity, and how this remarkable piece of cinema was rescued and restored more than a century later.

We also look at the legacy of A Trip to the Moon, its return to the Cannes Film Festival with a new score by Air, and how Martin Scorsese’s Hugo brought Méliès’ story to a new generation. From surrealist painters to The Simpsons, the film’s influence has never faded. Join us as we count down 100 things we learned from one of the most important films ever made.

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