James Cameron is in the spotlight of an exceptional exhibition to be seen at La Cinémathèque française in Paris. The opportunity to discover, through his drawings, sketches and new objects, the secrets behind Titanic, Avatar and Terminator.
This is an event that movie buffs shouldn’t miss. The Cinémathèque française offers to delve, starting this Thursday, April 4, into the mind of one of the most innovative filmmakers of his time. “The Art of James Cameron” is an exhibition dedicated to the director of Avatar, Titanic, Terminator and Abyss.
The filmmaker reveals his secrets, unpublished anecdotes about the preparation of his films, but also his sources of inspiration, which will be enough to fascinate film buffs, but also all those who have been able to discover the blockbusters of the king of the box office. The exhibition retraces six decades of James Cameron’s work: in total, more than 300 works are brought together, including 280 originals and 250 by the director himself.
The exhibition brings together numerous preparatory drawings by the filmmaker (and in particular all of Jack’s works in Titanic, including the portrait of Rose, which were drawn by the director himself), but also accessories (posters, busts of Na ‘Vi), costumes (Schwarzenegger’s famous paraphernalia in Terminator), filming photographs and even diving devices. An immersion in his artistic universe, from his first childhood ideas to his adult achievements. With one objective: to understand the director’s obsessions and his recurring themes, so that his work makes sense to the public, who knows his films well. By taking your time (and if there are not many people), it is possible to see the exhibition in 1h30.
“The art of James Cameron” is the temporary exhibition of the Cinémathèque française, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, from April 4, 2024 to January 5, 2025. It is possible to visit during the week (except Tuesday) from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends, school holidays and public holidays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (annual closure on May 1, December 25, and from July 22 to August 27 inclusive).
Access to the exhibition is nevertheless chargeable and costs, full price, 14 euros per person. The reduced rate is set at 11 euros, while those under 18 have access for 7 euros. Guided tours are also organized (16 euros full price) on Saturdays and Sundays at 4:30 p.m. It is advisable to reserve your tickets in advance on the Cinémathèque website to ensure a visit in the best conditions.
James Cameron is definitely a filmmaker apart in world cinema. Canadian director, screenwriter and producer, he is the mind who imagined some of the greatest classics of recent cinema since the 1980s, including those listed above. With Titanic, which won 11 Oscars, he held the biggest box office success worldwide for eleven years. He will be surpassed for the first time in 2009 by… himself. On that date, Avatar, his 10th feature film as director, became the most popular film of all time. Today, only Avengers: Endgame has managed to climb between the two Avatar films, which are respectively in first and second place in the ranking of the biggest hits at the global box office, just ahead of Titanic.
Such success can be explained not only by the creativity of his artistic genius, but also by the technical prowess that he sought to achieve from film to film. James Cameron also created his own production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, and created the special effects company Digital Domain. When he is not creating films, he explores the seabed and is involved in environmental issues. Furthermore, his feature films are often pioneering in their messages, such as the environmentalist reflections of Avatar, or even the reflection on AI and the role of machines in Terminator.