Did you ever imagine a street named after a magician who travelled to the moon? Here on Rue Georges Méliès in Villeurbanne, the spirit of Georges Méliès lives on. Rue Georges Méliès isn’t just a street. It’s a tribute to the cinematic pioneer who brought us “A Trip to the Moon” in 1902. Méliès, born in Paris in 1861, wasn’t just a filmmaker. He was a magician, a theatre director, and an innovator who shaped the very fabric of cinema.
Rue Georges Méliès is easily accessible by public transport. You can hop on the bus lines 37, C17, C2, C4, or C6. Alternatively, take the metro lines A or B or the tram lines T1 or T4. The closest stops are Le Tonkin and Rossellini, just a 3-minute walk away. Clinique Du Parc and Chorel are a bit further, at 6 and 9 minutes respectively. If you’re coming from Charpennes Charles Hernu metro station, it’s about a 14-minute walk to Rue Georges Méliès.
Méliès was captivated by the Lumière brothers’ invention and saw beyond their simple motion pictures. He envisioned fictional narratives, stories brought to life through the magic of film. He began experimenting with camera tricks like stop motion, slow motion, dissolves, and superimposition. His films, over 400 of them created between 1899 and 1912, were whimsical and fantastical, often depicting bizarre transformations of the human body for comic effect. Remember “Cleopatra’s Tomb” from 1899 or “Christ Walking on Water” from the same year? Those were Méliès’ creations. He even made a “Hamlet” in 1908. Rue Georges Méliès is a quiet reminder of this cinematic genius.
Sadly, Méliès’ innovative spirit wasn’t enough to keep him afloat in the burgeoning film industry. He was forced out of business in 1913 and died in poverty in 1938. But his legacy lives on. Here on Rue Georges Méliès, we celebrate the man who dared to dream of impossible voyages and brought those dreams to the screen. This street is more than just a place to walk. It’s a portal to the past, a testament to the power of imagination, and a tribute to the man who brought magic to the movies.