Retrospective of Georges Méliès (1861-1938).

Obra Social la Caixa Foundation presents Georges Méliès, The Magic of Film at the CaixaForum de Madrid  from July 25 – October 27.  The exhibition includes films, photographs, drawings, posters, original equipment from the period, costumes, models and explanations.  21 films that will be shown, many accompanied by live music, including, of course, A Trip to the Moon (1902).

The exhibition was organized in cooperation with the Cinémathèque française, and Laurent Mannoni, its technical director (directeur scientifique du patrimoine et du Conservatoire des techniques). The Cinémathèque contains the world’s largest Méliès collection. Georges Méliès. 

Homework assignment: see Martin Scorsese’s Hugo first. European title: Hugo Cabret. It won five Oscars — including Best Cinematography (Robert Richardson, ASC); Art Direction (Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo (set decorator); and Visual Effects (Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning).

Georges Méliès was a magician, theater director, actor, and designer who produced, directed and distributed more than 500 films from 1896 to 1912. Méliès was the father of visual effects. Bad luck, timing, world war, and changing tastes led to financial ruin. Most of his films were destroyed.