Good news for movie fans in Berlin: Germany’s oldest movie theater was successfully saved! The future of the cinema seemed uncertain when Deutsche Wohnen acquired the building in which the movie theaters are located. According to the original plans, these were to be sold by the end of 2019. This has now happened, but to the previous operators Iris Praefke and Wulf Sörgel!
Moviemento – Movies since 190
The cinema was opened in 1907 by restaurateur Alfred Topp as a cinematograph theater. On the upper floor of his residential and commercial building at Kottbusser Damm 22, he set up the movie theater at Zickenplatz, also known as “Topps Kino”. Legend has it that this name gave rise to the term “Kintopp”, which to this day is synonymous with the early days of cinema.
A special feature of the original movie theater was an unconventional mirror projection: Due to the given layout of the corner building, the space was divided into two cinemas that met at a 45° angle and were connected by a transparent screen. In the back hall, you could see the movie in reverse for a reduced ticket price. The name changed several times over the years. From Vitascope Theater, Odeon and Hohenstaufen-Lichtspiele to briefly “Das lebende Bild” and later to “Taki und Tali”.
in 2007, the current owners Iris Praefke and Wulf Sörgel took over Germany’s oldest cinema; it was reopened in March after renovation. Since then, it has made a name for itself by presenting arthouse cinema, political films and sophisticated documentaries, as opposed to the mainstream films that usually dominate the box office. The annual porn film festival also takes place here.
COVID saved the day
Paradoxically, the coronavirus pandemic appears to have had a positive effect on the outcome of Deutsche Wohnen’s original sales plans. In the early stages of the pandemic, the movement to save Moviemento gained momentum. At a time when many cultural institutions were under threat, Moviemento received widespread expressions of solidarity and the owners launched a crowdfunding campaign. Thanks to this support and after lengthy negotiations, an agreement was finally reached last week.
To celebrate the successful rescue of Moviemento, a symbolic handover of the keys took place on January 8, followed by a screening of “The Boy and the Heron”, the latest film by Hayao Miyazaki from the renowned Studio Ghibli.