80 years ago, a bizarre event occurred in Hollywood: a major Hollywood studio gave complete creative freedom to Orson Welles, a young man directing his first feature film, allowing him complete dominion over nearly every aspect of its production. The brainchild of that freedom is Orson Welles’ 1941 American drama film, “Citizen Kane.”

In a landmark contract with RKO Pictures, one of the biggest film studios in the United States at the time, Welles received a 25 percent cut of the film’s profits in addition to full control over production. Welles would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination in 1942 for Best Actor for his role in the film as the titular character, Charles Foster Kane. Though 80 years have passed since the film’s release, “Citizen Kane” has managed to stay relevant in modern discussion for both its cinematic innovation and social commentary.