Deutsches Filmmuseum

Small but perfectly formed museum dedicated to the art of film. The highlight is on the second floor, where four screens and four projectors are used to demonstrate the key techniques of filmmaking, whilst also offering a multi-screen montage of seminal moments in cinema. These scenes are cut and spliced together with breathtaking skill, and it renewed my appreciation of the medium.

The museum also has a sizeable archive of Charlie Chaplin memorabilia on permanent loan, currently being exhibited on the top floor. It’s mostly posters, books, and photos of Chaplin in action, together with a reel of his greatest hits projected in a loop. Visitors are invited to recline on a giant sofa (in a the shape of a bowler hat, naturally) and have a hearty chuckle over his exploits.

(Sidenote: there’s free wifi access in the cafe on the ground floor.)

You certainly will be offered an interesting experience at the Filmmuesum, one of the many museums located along the Main river in Frankfurt. They have good exhibitions; I visited the Alfred Hitchcock exhibition which was very interesting and worth the entry fee. If you live in Frankfurt keep your eyes open for the Filmfest, which is a series of good films at unusual locations.

Excellent arthouse cinema, showing many films with English subtitles or in original versions, classics, rarities, a wonderful evening out.