This past November the MOMA screened the science-fiction pioneer Trip to the Moon (French origin: Le Voyage dans la lune).  Made in 1902, it was written, directed and produced by French director Georges Méliès. A silent black-and-white short (with a duration of only 16 minutes), it is now a renowned cinematic classic. Each frame carefully hand-painted to add color (a technique often used to add color to films as most were in black and white), sent audiences into a visual frenzy. Not only is it considered the first Sci-fi film, but it was also the first time an outer space adventure - where six courageous astronauts agree to embark on a trip to the moon-was depicted. The iconic scene of the film being the start of their adventure when a capsule is fired from a cannon and hits the eye of a man in the moon.

After 109 years, Lobster Films, Groupama Gan Foundation for Cinema, and Technicolor Foundation for Cinema Heritage restored the timeless treasure with the release of, The Extraordinary Voyage. The 60 minute documentary led by French director Serge Brombery and American Director Eric Lange, traces the film’s 1902 hand-painted production to the discovery of hand-tinted nitrate print in 1993 that lead to the film’s magnificent restoration. And now, even in a post-modern, technological age, The Trip To The Moon has made a renewed landing into the hearts of film lovers and enthusiasts.

By: Lauren Bustos