The most famous space journey in film history dates from 124 years ago, thanks to the “magician” Georges Méliès: the Moon takes on a human form and a rocket-ship launched from Earth pierces its eye, producing tears. In Le Rêve de l’astronome and Reve à la Lune, too, our satellite takes on an anthropomorphic dimension: in the first, the Moon appears in an astronomer’s studio, with sparkling eyes and a mouth that opens hungrily; in the second, we are transported there by a drunkard’s dream. No less fantastical or oneiric are the steps which lead a king from his four-poster bed to the planet Jupiter in Le Voyage sur Jupiter. From science-fiction to science: our journey to space concludes with L’eclisse parziale di Sole del 17 aprile 1912, in which we can observe the astronomical phenomenon thanks to the use of a telescope.

The five films will be accompanied live by the sound experiments of Valeria Sturba, who combines voice, theremin and electronics, and will be preceded by a workshop curated by Sara Ricciardi (Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna – Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica).

Le Voyage dans la lune (Francia/1902) R.: Georges Méliès. D.: 14’
L’eclisse parziale di sole del 17 aprile 1912 (Italia/1912) R.: Luca Comerio. D.: 6’
Rêve à la lune (Francia/1905) R.: Ferdinand Zecca, Gaston Velle. D.: 6’
Le Rêve de l’astronome (Francia/1898) R.: Georges Méliès. D.: 3’
Le Voyage sur Jupiter (Francia/1909) R.: Segundo de Chomón. D.: 10’

Musical accompaniment by Valeria Sturba
From 6 years