[On Stage] Lee Eun-gyeol "Melies is charming... I see new possibilities in film"

'Melies Illusion' Performance at LG Art Center Until the 17th

French magician and film director Georges M?li?s (1861?1938) unveiled a monumental work in 1902. It was a 15-minute film titled A Trip to the Moon. The film depicted the imagination of a person traveling to the moon by cannon. Sixty-seven years later, in 1969, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon aboard Apollo 11, turning imagination into reality.

Illusionist Lee Eun-gyeol (photo) said at a press conference held on the 12th at LG Arts Center Seoul, "When I decided to focus on films as a theme, M?li?s was such a fascinating figure." He is performing M?li?s Illusion at LG Arts Center Seoul until the 17th. As the title suggests, it carries a meaning of respect for M?li?s.

Lee Eun-gyeol said, "Unlike the Lumi?re brothers, who first made films and thought that film was just a passing fad that would eventually disappear, M?li?s saw new possibilities in film."

Illusionist Lee Eun-gyeol is explaining about 'M?li?s Illusion,' currently performing at LG Arts Center Seoul on the 12th.
[Photo by LG Arts Center]

The performance showcases various techniques that M?li?s implemented through film.

"Early films were all magical acts. M?li?s seemed to realize that various techniques we commonly know, such as fade-in, fade-out, and double exposure, could become a language of film. He thought he could expand his magic through images."

The protagonist of the performance is M?li?s, represented as a puppet (a hand-operated doll). M?li?s ran a toy store in his later years. In the performance, M?li?s touches various props from the toy store one by one and drifts into reverie. Those reveries materialize one by one on stage.

It is not easy to find what the performance intends to convey or what meaning it seeks through the various events unfolding during the show.

Lee Eun-gyeol said, "I hope the audience will have diverse interpretations." However, it seemed that he had a clear meaning he wanted to convey. During the interview, he mentioned expressions like horrific war, selves struggling in the information age, and completely othered selves. Lee Eun-gyeol revealed that he deliberately structured the performance so that it would not be easy for the audience to grasp a specific meaning.

He also said the performance is about showing the process rather than the result. "I wanted to show how a certain text changes and is newly interpreted depending on different contexts. For audiences who try to understand everything through narrative, it might be a bit uncomfortable. It could be confusing. But I think, 'Isn't this how the current era is?'"

Lee Eun-gyeol also explained why he prefers to be called an illusionist rather than a magician. "Magic receives more applause the further it is from life, that is, the reality we live in. But it does not actually talk about life."

The performance also includes a scene that pays homage to the 47-second film Arrival of a Train, released by the Lumi?re brothers in 1896. Lee Eun-gyeol explained this scene by saying, "In the end, the train arrives in reality."

Eun-gyeol Lee [Photo by LG Art Center]

Lee Eun-gyeol said that at some point, he has been continuously presenting auteur-driven works. He explained that such works all contain stories about context, and this work is also a result in that continuum. He also described this performance as having an experimental meaning for him.

"If I wanted to show new magic, I wouldn't have made it like this. My performances have always been a way of showing everything the audience wants first, then telling the story I want at the end. This time, unkindly, I start with the story I want. I think the audience will be confused. If they come expecting amazing magic, naturally, they will be confused. I'm curious about how the public will receive it. I hope the audience comes without knowing anything about the work, without any prejudice, and accepts it as it is."

Lee Eun-gyeol also expressed a hope that other creators would reinterpret the work. He said he is willing to release the source of the performance. "I'm very curious about what kind of results would come out if it were hybridly imitated and reassembled."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.