Drawing back the curtains

For instance, one area has the conceptual art and storyboard sketches from James Cameron's 1978 sci-fi short film Xenogenesis — his debut film, which laid the foundation for the Hollywood legend's later blockbusters like The Terminator and Avatar. Zhang Boshi says that the items from Xenogenesis are replicas, produced with authorization from one of Cameron's overseas copyright holders.

Just a few steps away, an area filled with a childlike atmosphere is dedicated to paintings and storyboard sketches from Little Jam and the Goblin Opp, a 17-minute Japanese short anime, which also commemorates the tragic death of a talented animator.

The movie, directed by then 73-year-old Toshiyuki Honda, is adapted from a picture book by Honda's former colleague, Yoshiji Kigami, who died in the 2019 arson attack on Kyoto Animation Studio — an incident that claimed 36 lives and injured an additional 34 people, including the suspect.

Recalling his trip to visit Honda's studio, Zhang Boshi says he was surprised to find that it was a small house where animators — mostly in their 60s or 70s — worked closely together in a crowded, yet focused environment.

"The hand-painted sketches were stored in many archival packages, just piled up. I felt like I was entering a treasure trove, dazzled, and at a loss as to how to choose," Zhang Boshi says.

Aside from the exhibits, there's a screening area showing award-winning short projects by Chinese directors on weekdays, and a German film each Saturday.

Sponsored by Germany's national airline Lufthansa, seven classic German films have been selected — from 1927's Metropolis to 2023's Roter Himmel (Afire) — to represent the century-long history of German cinema, which is known for its artistic expression and societal concerns.

The exhibition runs until June 3 at Beijing's 798 Art Zone.