On November 16, we are happy to present the third Cocktail & Movie Night at Apollosaal in collaboration with Staatsoper Berlin. The concept of the evening is unique. Inside this baroque venue, we will play some electronic music while our guests will be served a complimentary signature cocktail by Russian Standard & Schweppes before the movie, matching the motto of the evening: SLEEPLESS. And all this for the price of a regular night at the cinema.
On this evening we will show you Kornél Mundruczó’s fantasy film WHITE GOD. The director, who is currently staging the world premiere of Peter Eötvös’ SLEEPLESS at the Staatsoper (premiere: November 28, 2021), will welcome the audience on-site and talk about his work. Mundruczó’s last film, Pieces of a Woman, starring Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf, was honored with several awards and an Oscar nomination. So this is a unique opportunity for all cinema lovers, opera lovers, and cocktail lovers alike. Get your ticket here fast before it’s sold out.
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by Claudio | Theater
The other day I spontaneously went to see the brand new Berlin movie Liebesfilm that was just released to cinemas. I hadn’t heard of the film before, to be honest – Berlin Bouncer has taken up most of the Berlin buzz I guess – so I didn’t have any specific expectations of the flick.
But to my delight, I was really enjoying what I was seeing. In contrast to most Berlin movies or TV shows of the last years, this film did not portrait the city and its inhabitants in a stylized and overdramatized kind of way. It felt very real and honest which made the film and its characters incredibly likable. Even that kooky, trashy little party at the beginning of the film felt like a much more earnest representation of Berlin nightlife than any exaggerated techno rave in some kind of stunning location that doesn’t even look like anything that would exist in Berlin – we’ve seen in too many times in many other movies already.
The story is as simple as it gets: Two unlikely lovers find themselves – completely wasted – in a party and start a joyful love affair. The snotty, rebellious attitude of them perfectly captures the personality of the archetype Berliner: totally impossible but also adorable at the same time. And even though this film is not really about the city itself at all I feel like I rarely saw a movie that felt more “Berlin” like this one.
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by Frank | Movies
photo: Martin aka Maha / cc.
In a world where streaming services are so widespread that it is possible to watch any movie on laptops, phones, tablets or TVs, going to the cinema continues to be a unique experience. To go out and sit in theatres, especially in cozy and intimate ones, means to elevate the simple movie-watching to the pure pleasure of being dragged into a mix of sounds, colors and feelings that you probably will not get by simply sitting on your couch at home.
We prepared a list of our favorite art-house cinemas in different areas of the city. Check it out! Close your laptop and go to the cinema! Let yourself be enchanted by the atmosphere of these cool spaces. Spending 8 euros on a movie ticket instead of a cocktail is not a bad idea for a weekend. It will be worth it!
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by Giulio | Movies
Summer is practically here – time to rapidly take advantage of the good weather. There are many ways to enjoy the Summer daylight hours in the sun. Go for a swim, meet friends for an Aperitif or do some outdoor activities. But if you also want to spend the evenings catching some fresh air you should definitely visit an open air cinema and watch an awesome movie in these last summer weeks.
We would like to introduce you to a couple of open air cinemas, which not only convince with their cozy atmosphere, but also offer an interesting program. Read an introduction for the open air cinemas und their program after the jump.
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by Olga | Movies
Filmstill: Welt am Draht
The startling cold of February in Berlin has returned, and with it comes the 67th edition of the Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin, also known as the Berlinale or Berlin Film Festival. The festival begins February 9th and runs through the 19th. As with every year’s edition, there are an overwhelming number of screenings to choose from, even though most bigger-name titles tend to sell out of public tickets at alarming rates. Nevertheless, there are plenty of lesser-known titles worth your time. Guest Author Maximilien Proctor highlights a few of his most anticipated pictures (but don’t let it discourage you from seeking screenings even further off the beaten path!).
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by Guest Author | Movies
Since there is no such thing, as “I have seen pretty much everything when it comes to great films”, here is another edition of our Berlin movie guide (see part one and part two). Grab some popcorn and sit comfortably on your couch along with your friends or by yourself and enjoy some of our favorite picks. We guarantee you there is something for everybody. Should you have any suggestions of your own, please share them with us in the comment section below.
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by Nikos | Movies
One of the things I really appreciate about Berlin is that ordinary things often come wrapped in special ways to make it more intriguing. We are really quite privileged when it comes to entertainment and culture. Take for instance going to the movies. Of course we have the traditional multiplex and small program cinemas. But then there are also luxury theaters with VIP treatment, glamorous vintage cinemas reminiscent of the old days, shabby underground locations with art flicks, mobile kinos projected on fire walls, open air screenings with whirlpools and so many other unusual ways to experience movies.
The upcoming Audi Urban Cinema is yet another event that will nurture our high standards in light entertainment. The popular series is already in its fourth year and will once again raise the bar for cinematic experiences. Last year the event took place inside the courtyard of the Kulturbrauerei which was already pretty great as a backdrop for the movies. But this year they’ve stepped up moving over to the riverbanks of the Spree setting up their screen at the Arena.
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by Frank | Events, Movies
illustration: Jacqueline Pulsack
I LOVE going to the movies. I love seeing visual art and storytelling on the big screen, hearing sound through big speakers, my senses encapsulated. I love the architecture and physical space of going to the movies, entering from city streets into a particular lobby and then into the seats of an auditorium. I love the social aspect of congregating in a dark, silent room with others to pay attention to something important. Yes, I enjoy watching movies at home, but there’s something about a formal start time, a public event, a demand for reverence without distractions that only the cinema provides.
When I moved to Berlin from New York, I was worried how hard it might be to enjoy going to the movies. One of the best things about New York is its unabashed love for film, and the many wonderful theaters that celebrate quality cinema. The German-speaking world is such a big market — and most people are so subtitle-averse — that American films are generally dubbed over in German for theatrical release. If your German is still as bad as mine, this can be a serious problem!
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by Keith | City Guide, Entertainment, Movies, Places
Gentrification is a huge and ongoing topic in Berlin, with the steady rise of rent prices, as just recently shown in the Rent Map the change becomes inevitable and crystal clear. But nevertheless stories are being constantly written, with new people coming and old people dealing with the changes, the melting pot becomes more diverse and offers endless potential: An interesting time and a good base for a portrait about Neukölln.
Arsenny Rapoport, a filmmaker from Israel fell in love with Berlin right from the start, he felt especially inspired by Neukölln. He started filming and writing his film debut Neukölln Wind in 2012, which tells the story of estate agent Kalle, who himself grew up in Neukölln before his whole house was cleared, due to Asbestos being used. He returns many years later and wants to buy his old house and other buildings. On his way down memory lane he crosses paths with many different souls and gets involved with their personal stories. The film is very close to reality and even the famous homeless Schmitti, who lived on Neuköllns streets for 27 years before he passed away in August gets to tell his story.
With his film debut Rapoport sets a memorial of change and captures the moment and interesting stories of his chosen home. The trailer and more Infos about the film premiere tonight after the jump…
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by Kate | Movies
photo: Mobile Kino
In the summer of 2009, brothers Joel and Joshua Alas decided to invest some money in a digital projector with plans to start their own open-air film night. What resulted from the little open-air screening in the Lessinghöhe Park in Neukölln was what we now know as Mobile Kino. The digital age has hit cinemas, and as 35mm projections began to fade away, we lost some of the magic of the movies. So, the Mobile Kino crew (comprised of a team of Berlin projectionists, cinema managers and programmers) decided to step in and create an HD digital cinema-on-wheels in the form of a beautiful Christiania transport bike. Over the years, the project has evolved working with a variety of partners, filmmakers and guest programmers; working with filmmakers directly or German distributors to ensure their proceeds go to the right people. Also iHeartBerlin has teamed up with the guys from Mobile Kino for basically all of their film events including the Berlin Film Nights and the Cinéma de Mode. Click on to find out more about this project that has become a household name among movie-lovers, and see which screenings you can catch this month.
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by Skylar | Events, Movies
