A brand new 7-story interactive museum, designed by Pritzker prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, opened Sept. 30. Located on Wilshire Boulevard, The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum celebrates the history of cinema through exhibits illustrating the stories of moviemaking. Leaving no detail behind, the museum’s exhibits will celebrate, criticize, and uncomfortably go through the impacts of films throughout history. 

The Motion Picture Museum features exhibitions, event spaces, a café, two theaters, and a store. Unlike other museums, the Academy Museum tackles cinema’s problematic past, including racism and sexism. Museum director Bill Kramer said, “We didn’t want to erase films and artists and moments that may be uncomfortable. We wanted to confront them and contextualize them, throughout all of our core gallery spaces.” After many scandals such as #OscarsSoWhite, to snubbing female directors, and the “Gone With The Wind” scandal, the academy wanted to make sure to feature its whole, honest history. The Museum hosted a gala and grand opening event, attended by Hollywood’s notable figures such as Kaia Gerber, Jennifer Hudson, and Lady Gaga. British photographer Nadia Lee Cohen stole the show wearing a Schiaparelli gold dress and eccentric gold glasses.

Senior Lulu Hirchfield was extremely impressed to hear about the museum’s inclusivity, “I was surprised to hear the museum includes the good and the bad of cinema, and the hidden aspects behind the scenes. It’s important to highlight the things they’ve gotten right as well as wrong.”