Moulin Rouge Key Art + Illustrated Movie Poster

The show must go on! This year may have been an isolated one, but that wouldn’t stop the Frida Cinema from uniting us with the films we love and advocating for a good cause. At their drive-in location, the Frida Cinema (Orange County’s only non-profit theatre), teamed up with fellow local non-profit, OC Pride (an LGBTQ+ organization) for a SPECTACULAR-SPECTACULAR screening of the cult favorite, Moulin Rouge!

Our goal was to create a limited screen printed poster to not only help raise funds for two wonderful local non-profits, but also create a keepsake for fans of the beloved movie promoting the bohemian ideas of: truth, beauty, freedom and love!

“…I had come to write about truth, beauty, freedom and at which I believed above all things, love…” -Christian, Moulin Rouge!

Scope

Illustration, Print + Packaging

Roles

Illustration

At its core, Moulin Rouge! is a film about love, sacrifice and dreams. At its heart, Moulin Rouge! is a love story that transcends space and time with a message that love overcomes and lasts, even if not always with a happily ever after ending.

Process

Playing with that theme, we took the tension between those caught in the love triangle and literally made them star-crossed, framed by period appropriate ornamentation. Looking more at period piece posters of Toulouse-Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha and others, we took inspiration from the colors often found in many of the posters of the period: rich reds, sandy tones, lavish golds, and airy teals.

Results

Immersing ourselves into the demimonde world of the Moulin Rouge, we crafted a poster you would be proud to hang in your lovely abode, regardless if you’re a penniless sitar player, or the most sought after courtesan in all of Paris. More than anything, we created a piece of art that could help aid those that not only believe in but live the bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom, and love. By helping honor that creativity and authenticity we could also honor a film that reminds us all that, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”