German Film Museum — Attraction in Frankfurt

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...

Probably my favourite place in Frankfurt. There is a fantastic 4 screen installation on the second floor a I believe where they display a beautiful movie clip collage of the key elements of film. I'm not entirely sure how long we were sat there but it was like we were sucked into this experience for surely over an hour, and I wasn't mad at it. Reminds me the triptych paintings in the Rothko chapel, except this is film art. On the same floor there is also an interactive section where you can experience how green screens work, and the power lighting has in story telling. Our admission was for the permanent exhibit and also Space Odessey exhibit they had the time, it was about 13€, definitely worth it, I think just the permanent exhibit was about 6€. It's a great museum. Would definitely come again if I am ever...

THE BEST MUSEUM I’VE BEEN TO! Very worth it. I spent 3.5 hours here. Very informative and fun! The history of photography and filming. I felt like every inch of the museum is well thought of. The first 2 floors are the permanent exhibition. The third floor is their rotational exhibition. They are currently exhibiting Germany’s movie history in the past 20 years. The fourth floor is closed when I visited it should have workshops. The underground floor has a cinema, but it has to be bought separately.

Tickets are €9 for students (permanent exhibition + rotational) you have to show your ID. There’s a place to store your bags in a locker where you need to deposit €1 or €2 which will be returned when you unlock it. They can also lend you a black chip that is shaped like a coin which you can return after your...