Editor’s spotlight — updated daily
Georges Méliès
France
Georges Méliès, a French illusionist turned filmmaker, created over 500 films and pioneered special effects techniques like stop motion and multiple exposures. His 1902 film A Trip to the Moon is an iconic early science fiction movie. He built the first film studio in Europe and was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1931. Charles Chaplin called him the alchemist of light, and Martin Scorsese said he invented everything.