The United States is a global superpower whose influence extends around the world. A nation comprised of diverse peoples, communities, and cultures, it remains one of the world’s great filmmaking countries. While often associated with entertainment, American cinema has also served as a mirror on society, reflecting social realities and prompting audiences to consider questions of identity̶something as true of its documentaries and socially conscious dramas confronting historical events and contemporary issues as it is of its mainstream blockbusters.

Set in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, Rocky was released during the United States’ bicentennial year.
More than simply a sports film about an unknown boxer’s rise to success, it became an enduring symbol of the American Dream. In recent years, that legacy has continued through the Creed series, which follows Adonis Creed, son of Rocky’s great rival Apollo and a figure embodying contemporary Black culture, as he races up the famous “Rocky Steps” leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

This exhibition explores American cinema through the many facets of the country’s culture that its films reveal: its sports and music, food and transportation, the varied landscapes and traditions of its cities, and more.
Spanning classic Hollywood masterpieces to landmark independent films, it invites visitors to encounter America from multiple perspectives, with each distinct viewpoint revealing a different glimpse of the nation. It is our hope that these individual pieces might serve as signposts guiding visitors on a journey through contemporary America.