January 1: Welcome, 2024!
Start 2024 by finding your way into the cinema and museum. I'll show you, where to go to!
Dear all,
Your favourite newsletter is back! After an unannounced break, caused by both Covid and multiple deadlines, we will start this year - reliably - with curated culture tips in Berlin.
In this issue:
🎞️ DEFA Docu Shorts on 8th of January
🎦 Ukrainian Documentary “Life to the Limit” on 16th of January
🖼️ Film Poster Exhibition next to Berlinale
🎭 Theater of Hopes and Expectations. A Documentation - Opening on 10th of January
🥟 Restaurant Tip “Tak Tak - Polish Deli”
So, let’s dive right in!
Film & Cinema
DEFA Shorts: Breaking the Silence - 08.01., 7pm
The DEFA documentary shorts night at Arsenal Cinema within the Sony Centre Building promises an exploration of societal realities within the former East Germany. Four shorts reveal the dissonance between the state's claims of a conflict-free society and the stark truths of life. These films delve into taboo subjects such as hopelessness, substance abuse, delinquency, and suicide, unveiling societal fractures. These productions themselves faced conflicts and controversies due to their daring exploration of the silenced discourse.
📍Mitte / Potsdamer Platz
💵 9€ (discount for e.g. students available)
🗣️ german
Documentaries from Ukraine - 16.01., 6:30pm
On January 16, with subsequent screenings on January 23 and 30, head to Mitte for a documentary screening organized by the newly formed Ukrainian Society at Humboldt University. The film follows two filmmakers who, after their Oscar-nominated film "Winter on Fire" in 2016, returned from the glamour of Los Angeles straight back to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Five years later, these veterans utilize memories and self-recorded footage, unraveling the origins of the war against Ukraine, shedding light on how such conflict emerged.
📍Mitte / Friedrichstraße
💵 free of charge
🗣️ Ukrainian with English subtitles
Exhibitions & Art
Film Posters of All Time
300 film posters are currently on display until March 3, 2024, at the Kulturforum, just a short stroll from the Berlinale Palast. Hosted by the Kunstbibliothek in collaboration with the International Film Festival Berlin and the Deutsche Kinemathek, the exhibition titled "Großes Kino - Filmplakate aller Zeiten” shows you, how the posters combine advertising with art. I recommend paying particular attention to the featured Polish posters, highlighting a distinct style that evaded state-imposed artistic constraints. These posters masterfully encapsulate a film's essence through abstract imagery, bypassing the portrayal of specific scenes or central characters, showcasing the artistic freedom within graphic design.
📍Mitte / Potsdamer Platz
💵 10€ / 5€
Theater of Hopes and Expectations, Opening 10.01., 6pm
I am sending you to Humboldt University once again - it might be my Alma Mater, not gonna lie! On 10th of January an exhibition will be opened: “Theater of Hopes and Expectations. A Documentation”. The exhibition documents a participatory project by the Ukrainian art collective Prykarpattian Theater, initially erected a pavilion in Düsseldorf's Volksgarten made of theatrical scenery from German theaters. This space hosted Ukrainian art exhibitions and a range of participatory events. Subsequently, the dismantled theater was reconstructed into a new home for the Honchar family in Ukraine, replacing their residence destroyed by a russian tank. On the opening night, the creators will delve into the “house” metaphor and into positionality in the theatre.
📍Mitte / Friedrichstraße
💵 free of charge
🗣️ English
RESTAURANT TIP: TAK TAK - POLISH DELI
Whenever you crave pierogi, Polish traditional dumplings filled with cottage cheese and potatoes, meat or mushrooms and cabbage, this is the place to get them! You can expect a perfect balance between traditional recipes and the so called “Berlinski twist” - vegan creations and experimental compositions. Remember to order a glass of barszcz, a drinkable savory beet root soup, aside with your pierogi. It will help you with your iron levels and keep you warm from the inside during the cold winter days waiting for us!
📍Mitte / Rosenthaler Platz: Brunnenstr. 5, 10119 Berlin
💵 4 - 10€
🍴vegetarian and vegan options available
Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next issue coming in 1,5 weeks, including:
🎥 premiere of Green Border (dir. Agnieszka Holland)
🎭 new plays in multiple Berlin theaters
✨ and much more :)
If you want to share your event tip with our readers, let me know! Feel free to reach out with submissions, questions or feedback anytime via juliaschneider@substack.com.
Lots of love,
From Julia’s Desk
Great post Julia. Looking forward to more of these in 2024! 🙂
Amazing selection, what a terrific start into the new year! Thanks so much, Jule!