Moviemento

Moviemento is a cinema at Kottbusser Damm 22 in Berlin-Kreuzberg, Germany. It opened in 1907 and is counted among the oldest cinemas still in operation in Berlin and in Germany. The venue was founded by the restaurateur Alfred Topp as a Kinematographen-Theater on the first floor of the residential and commercial building he had built at Kottbusser Damm 22 in 1905; the early cinema was also known as the Lichtspieltheater am Zickenplatz, or "Topps Kino." A local legend holds that the name of the venue gave rise to the German word "Kintopp," still used as a synonym for the early era of cinema. The cinema has changed names and operators many times. Over the decades it was known as Vitascope Theater, Odeon, Hohenstaufen-Lichtspiele (1930–1959), briefly Das lebende Bild, and later Taki and Tali. In the 1970s the Tali was known for its legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show performances, and Wieland Speck was responsible for its programming. In the early 1980s André Rudolf, operator of the Kinomacherei Colonna (today Xenon Kino), took over the then Tali cinema and rebuilt it as a program cinema with three auditoriums of 62, 67 and 103 seats. Until 1984 it carried the name "Das lebende Bild"; in 1984 Ingrid Schwibbe, Rudolf's partner at the time, took over the cinema, with Rudolf remaining responsible for programming until the end of the 1980s. Since 1984 the cinema has been called Moviemento. In the 1980s Tom Tykwer worked as a projectionist at the Moviemento and, after Rudolf's departure, was responsible for its programming. In 2007 Iris Praefke and Wulf Sörgel took over the cinema with the aim of turning it back into a first-run venue. After renovation it reopened in March 2007, and for its 100th anniversary on 29 March the film classic Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927) by Walter Ruttmann was shown with live musical accompaniment. Since 2009 the Pornfilmfestival Berlin has been held annually at the Moviemento in mid-autumn. Today the Moviemento operates as a three-screen arthouse and repertory cinema. Its published programme mixes current international releases, German-language films with English subtitles, original-version screenings (OmU, OV, OmeU), children's and family films, and special series. The website lists screenings such as Toy Story 5, Bibi Blocksberg – Die total verhexte Zeitreise, Shaun das Schaf – Spuk im Kürbisfeld, Jim Queen, Vaterland, Lovebox, Gentle Monster, Staatsschutz, Corpus Delicti and Naza, alongside festival slots such as the Pornfilmfestival Warm Up and Pornfilmfestival screenings. The cinema sells tickets through its own website and presents a full programme calendar online.

The Moviemento was founded in 1907 by the restaurateur Alfred Topp as a Kinematographen-Theater. He installed the Lichtspieltheater am Zickenplatz — also known as "Topps Kino" — on the first floor of the residential and commercial building he had built at Kottbusser Damm 22 in 1905. According to legend, the name of the venue gave rise to the term "Kintopp," which remains a synonym for the early period of cinema. A curiosity of the early cinema was its mirror projection. Because of the prescribed floor plan of the corner building, the space was divided into two auditoriums meeting at a 45-degree angle and connected by a transparent screen. In the rear auditorium, viewers — paying a reduced admission price — saw the film mirror-reversed, which was then corrected with the help of a mirror surface. Over the years the name changed several times: after Vitascope Theater, Odeon and Hohenstaufen-Lichtspiele (1930–1959) came briefly Das lebende Bild, and later Taki and Tali. In the 1970s Wieland Speck was responsible for programming at the off-cinema Tali. In the early 1980s the then Tali cinema, which in the 1970s had been known above all for its legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show performances and had suffered greatly in that connection, was taken over by André Rudolf, operator of the Kinomacherei Colonna (today Xenon Kino), and rebuilt as a program cinema with three auditoriums of 62, 67 and 103 seats. Until 1984 it carried the name "Das lebende Bild." In 1984 Ingrid Schwibbe, Rudolf's partner at the time, took over the cinema, with Rudolf remaining responsible for programming until the end of the 1980s. Since 1984 it has borne the name "Moviemento." In the 1980s Tom Tykwer worked as a projectionist at the Moviemento and, after Rudolf's departure, was responsible for its programming. In 2007 Iris Praefke and Wulf Sörgel took over the cinema, intending to make it a first-run venue again. After renovation it reopened in March. For its 100th anniversary on 29 March, the film classic Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927) by Walter Ruttmann was shown with live musical accompaniment. Since 2009 the Pornfilmfestival Berlin has been held annually at the Moviemento in mid-autumn. In the present day the Moviemento operates as a three-screen arthouse and repertory cinema. Its website presents a rolling programme and online ticket sales, listing current releases, German films with English subtitles, original-version screenings (OmU, OV, OmeU), children's and family titles, and festival events. Representative listings include Toy Story 5, Bibi Blocksberg – Die total verhexte Zeitreise, Shaun das Schaf – Spuk im Kürbisfeld, Jim Queen, Vaterland, Lovebox, Gentle Monster, Staatsschutz, Corpus Delicti and Naza, as well as Pornfilmfestival Warm Up and Pornfilmfestival screenings such as The Story of Joanna.

• 2009

  The Pornfilmfestival Berlin begins its annual mid-autumn run at the Moviemento.

• 2007

  Iris Praefke and Wulf Sörgel take over the cinema; it reopens in March after renovation and marks its 100th anniversary on 29 March with a screening of Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt.

• 1984

  Ingrid Schwibbe takes over the cinema; it is renamed Moviemento.

• 1970

  Wieland Speck is responsible for programming at the off-cinema Tali; the venue is known for Rocky Horror Picture Show performances.

• 1930

  The cinema operates under the name Hohenstaufen-Lichtspiele (until 1959).

• 1907

  Alfred Topp opens the cinema as a Kinematographen-Theater at Kottbusser Damm 22.

A historic Berlin-Kreuzberg arthouse and repertory cinema combining first-run, original-version and festival programming in a venue operating since 1907.

• Toy Story 5

• Bibi Blocksberg – Die total verhexte Zeitreise

• Shaun das Schaf – Spuk im Kürbisfeld

• Jim Queen

• Vaterland

• Lovebox

• Gentle Monster

• Staatsschutz

• Corpus Delicti

• Naza

• Pornfilmfestival Warm Up: Fucking Different XXX

• Pornfilmfestival: The Story of Joanna

1. 1Moviemento official websitemoviemento.de
2. 2Toy Story 5 – Moviementomoviemento.de
3. 3Pornfilmfestival: The Story of Joanna OV (OV) – Moviementomoviemento.de
4. 4Pornfilmfestival: The Story of Joanna OV (OV) – Moviementomoviemento.de
5. 5Moviemento – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Moviemento – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org