Klee was a serious opera lover. the scene before stick city is another interpretation of house of an opera bouffe

original layout for the scene known as stick city, taken from a detail of an original PK work house of an opera bouffe

<stick city is one of my favourite scenes. it looks deceptively simple but the constantly moving lines of the scenery layer made it a challenge both to animate and shoot, especially since I was still using the Czech system of cel numbering and no dope sheets.../>

<the characters in this scene were taken from studies I made while researching Klee's work at the kunstmuseum in bern. I wasn't allowed to touch the original sketches which were ceremoniously removed from their tissuepaper wrapping by a curator in white cotton gloves. many of the curious characters in the film came from this source, which is why they are less recognisable as Klee's work.../>

<the background was created loosely in Klee's style with no particular point of reference, using pastel crayons on card.
a framed cel of original artwork with this background was given to Jeremy Isaacs as thanks for his appreciation of the film.../>