First science-fiction film

The origins of science fiction – or sci-fi – cinema can be found in the work of French filmmaker Georges Méliès. While there were earlier shorts that touched on sci-fi themes – such as the Lumière Brothers’ La Charcuterie Mécanique from 1895, which featured a machine that instantly turned animals into cuts of meat – the first film that focused on what we’d recognize today as part of the genre is Méliès’ 1902 silent short Le Voyage dans la Lune (“A Trip to the Moon”).

The film tells the story of a group of hapless scientists who travel to the Moon in a spacecraft – fired from a giant gun – and then have to escape a race of warlike aliens. As would become a hallmark of the genre, Le Voyage dans la Lune was a special-effects showcase, mixing live action with multi-layered matte paintings, animations and miniatures.