Some stories wither with time. Some live long and inspiring lives thanks to a few dedicated institutions. Deutsches Filmmuseum is clearly one such institution. Walking into the museum is almost like a time travel through the advancements of motion picture. The magic begins at the first floor. You walk into a dark hall lit with 17th century exhibits of mirrors, anamorphoses, peep shows, and panoramas that fuelled popular imagination and storytelling. What makes the experience rich is the interactive exhibits that allows you to tickle your sense of perception, be it the nostalgic flip books and kaleidoscopes or the turning wheels casting an illusion of cyclical motion. My personal favourite is the 15-seater screening room on the first floor that screens a blast from the past: German Emperor William II visiting a shipyard in Stettin (1897), Conway Castle (1898), Walter Booth’s The Motorist (1906), Georges Méliès’ Le Pappillon Fantastique (1909). Awesome footages! While the second floor focuses on the various departments of filmmaking, it is equally brilliant. Don’t miss the massive costume designed by H.R. Giger for Ridley Scott’s Aliens or the helmet and faceplate of Star Wars’ Darth Vader. The interactive exhibits are equally good. Spend some time on the sound-mixing console and the green-screen studio. You will surely love the outcome of your adventures. The second-floor hall also hosts a screening hall that features famous footages from contemporary cinema. At one level, the screening is pure entertainment, but another level it’s a serious attempt at film appreciation. You walk out of the museum as a wise man who’s not only experienced the history of motion pictures, but is also inspired enough to write a story on the future of cinema.