French Cinema (Cinéma français)

The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, swept the Academy Awards and walked away with four prizes – including best picture. It is the first silent film to triumph at the Oscars since the original ceremony in 1929 and the first French film to ever be awarded this title. But it’s only one of many French films that are honored in cinematic history. The Lumière Brothers are known as the pioneers of cinema, and they screened their first short film in 1895 in Paris, lasting 46 seconds. In 1902, George Méliès produced, Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) which is the first science fiction film and one of the greatest films of the 20th century. This 14-minute film is about a group of astronomers who travel to the moon by being shot in a capsule from a giant cannon. They are captured by moon-men, escape and later return to earth. The most iconic scene in the film is when the spaceship lands in the eye of the moon and Méliès’ fantasy film is one of the first to implement animation and special effects.