Boyle Heights takes spotlight at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opened just about a month ago.

It houses movie history moments that need to be documented, and puts a spotlight on Boyle Heights. There's a big map of the community in the 'The Significant Movies and Movie Makers' gallery, that showcases the movie 'Real Women Have Curves.'

"We really wanted to connect a narrative and have one film that allowed us to think other parts of Los Angeles, outside of this typical Anglo depiction that you get in Hollywood in films," said Sophia Serrano, an assistant curator at the museum.

The 2002 movie takes place in East Los Angeles and tells the story of a young Latina played by America Ferrera who learns to love herself and stand against society's standards. The character learns how to navigate going after her goals of achieving an education while going against her mother's desires.

"I was shocked at first. But then as I think about it my movie to get made in Hollywood was a miracle. But it was also a turning point because women's stories matter," said Josefina Lopez, a screenwriter of the movie.

Lopez was born in Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights - which is where some of the movie scenes highlighted in the museum were shot.

"It makes me so happy to know that my determination to change the story about Boyle Heights is manifested because people know go 'oh wow, positive things happen in Boyle Heights. People like Josefina come out of Boyle Heights,'" said Lopez.

According to Lopez, the movie is in the works to be made into a T.V. show and a Broadway musical.

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