When an ESMA dragon enters a museum: Achoo joins the DRAGONS exhibition at Quai Branly

The Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, a benchmark cultural institution

Located in the heart of Paris, the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum is a major institution dedicated to the arts and civilisations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Through its collections, temporary exhibitions and cultural programme, the museum explores the great narratives, symbols and imaginaries that run through the world’s cultures, bringing together heritage and contemporary creations.

DRAGONS: an exhibition at the crossroads of myth and imagination

The exhibition DRAGONS invites the public to discover the many faces of this mythical creature, omnipresent in the stories and traditions of many civilisations. A symbol of power, wisdom or protection, depending on the culture, the dragon embodies a universal and timeless imagination. The exhibition brings together heritage works, objets d’art, stories and contemporary creations, offering a rich and sensitive interpretation of this legendary figure.

Achoo, an ESMA short film inspired by ancestral China

Produced by ESMA’s class of 2017, Achoo is a 3D animated short film set in ancient China. The film tells the story of a little dragon with a cold who is unable to breathe fire (a major difficulty as the New Year celebrations approach). Faced with this inability, he must overcome his fears and find his own way to take part in the festivities.

Achoo‘s carefully-crafted visuals and tender, universal narrative offer an original retelling of the dragon myth, perfectly in tune with the themes developed in the DRAGONS exhibition.

The film was directed by Lucas Boutrot, Elise Carret, Maoris Creantor, Pierre Hubert, Camille Lacroix and Charlotte Perroux.

An invitation from the museum, recognition for ESMA

Achoo was selected to be part of the DRAGONS exhibitionat the initiative of the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum . The artistic quality of the film, the accuracy of its message and its cultural roots led the curatorial teams to invite this student short film to interact with the works and stories presented in the exhibition.

This invitation is a real honour for the film’s makers and for ESMA. It demonstrates the recognition of the work carried out within the school and the ability of ESMA’s graduation films to be part of large-scale cultural projects within internationally renowned museum institutions.

Achoo screened during “Dimanche en famille

As part of this collaboration, Achoo will be shown on the afternoon of Sunday 1 March, during the Dimanche en famille event . These free events, organised by the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, are open to all, especially families. The aim is to encourage fun and sharing around themes that echo the current exhibitions, through accessible and friendly cultural activities.

An invitation to discover

We invite all those who are curious, whether they are animation fans, myth enthusiasts or families looking for a cultural outing, to discover the DRAGONS exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and to meet Achoo, the endearing little dragon from ESMA, on Sunday 1 March. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the wealth of imagination surrounding dragons and the talent of our school’s former students.

Find out more on the museum page.