The art of James Cameron, a unique exhibition to delve into the artist's imagination

From April 4, 2024 to January 5, 2025, the Cinémathèque française welcomes exceptional works directed by James Cameron. A world first.

They were waiting at the bottom of a trunk before being rediscovered by the filmmaker's teams. The drawings of James Cameron, posters, storyboards and other figurines find a worthy place in France in the exhibition “The Art of James Cameron” who explains to us the creative process behind the masterpieces of the Canadian director notably famous for Terminator, Titanic And Avatar. A psychological journey through art.

If the world knows him for his films, the exhibition highlights his drawing talents. Because before becoming a director, young Jim was a brilliant illustrator.

“I grew up in a small town in Canada, with only pens, pencils, paint and paper available, long before I could hold my first camera.”

Piece by piece, visitors discover the evolution of his art: from a primary school drawing of a pumpkin-man horror monster to a realistic sketch of a shark-like flying animal for his aborted project. Xenogenesis. The constant? His passion for comics, B series and science fiction. All this serves as an aesthetic basis for his creations that we will find years later on the big screen.

The exhibition tells us that it was first with a pencil in his hand that James Cameron entered the cinema. He used his drawing talents to create posters and models, which quickly led him to become production designer. We also see him on one of the many archives during the filming of New York 1997 by John Carpenter, working on special effects.

The transition between pencil and camera occurs gradually. After a brief allusion to Piranha 2, we move on to the coronation. From a drawing of a humanoid robot, weapon in hand, we quickly understand where Cameron is coming from: Terminator. Welcomed by a human-sized figurine of Arnold Schwarzennegger, visitors discover the tips and tricks used by the director to bring the film to life which will propel him to the forefront. Because with TerminatorCameron imposes his style marked by a futuristic and critical look at technology, always showing the best and the worst.

The exhibition shows us Cameron as a visionary, avant-garde, at the cutting edge of technology, constantly pushing the boundaries of the maritime and galactic unknown – where strange creatures live that only he knows.

“I'm a storyteller; that's what exploration is really about. Going where everyone else has never been, and coming back to tell them a story they've never heard before.”

And where do all these stories come from? A filmmaker of the imagination, Cameron swears by his dreams. Terminator, Avatarall this comes to him from a dream.

“In my dream there was a bioluminescent forest populated by flying fan lizards.”

To end in style, what could be better than leading the visitor to no longer see their dreams, but to live them?

Projects carried out or aborted, “The art of James Cameron” reveals behind the scenes, the genesis of the feature films that we know through anecdotes from filming and original works. An impressive and attractive exhibition to discover at the Cinémathèque from April 4 to January 5, 2025.

And for the most curious who wish to become knowledgeable about James Cameron, the latter did the honor of his presence for a press conference on the occasion of the exhibition as well as a unique masterclass in which he discusses his relationship with artificial intelligence and his friendship with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

5 things to remember from James Cameron's exceptional masterclass at the Cinémathèque