Conquest of the North Pole
Ben Kingsley portrays film pioneer George Melies in Martin Scorsese's Hugo.
A stage magician, Melies (1861-1938) brought his magic to the early cinema, writing, producing, directing and often starring in 552 films. He discovered by accident, when a camera jammed in 1896, the use of stop motion photography. From this incident Melies developed a variety of complex (for their time) special effects inspired by his work in the theatre and in magic.
The Trip to the Moon (1902) is often cited as the first science-fiction film. Actually it is more of a fantasy. A master fantasist, George Melies also produced many straight dramas as well as advertising films.
His career started to fade with changes in the industry. Bankrupt he closed his studio in 1913. The Conquest of the North Pole is one of Melies' last films.
George Melies film festival
