{"id":25521,"date":"2026-02-26T16:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/25521\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T16:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:00:15","slug":"a-close-up-on-kino-international","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/25521\/","title":{"rendered":"A Close-up on Kino International"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\"\"KinoInternational_2026_Aussen_Copyright-Daniel Horn<\/p>\n

Envisioned by Josef Kaiser in the 1960s, with its wood-panelled walls and wide, white facade, Kino International is an icon of East German modernist architecture. Its soul exists in the details: the hand-painted film posters that hang out front and the unexpected friezes round the back that depict the everyday lives of DDR citizens, not to mention the eight rows with extra leg room, once reserved for state officials, epitomising the socialist-luxury hypocrisy of the time. After all, above anything else, Kino International was built to exude cinematic glamour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But for almost two years, its interior has been stripped bare : mid-renovation, mid-memory and mid-rebirth. The doors closed in 2024 for a comprehensive renovation that reached deep behind its well-preserved 1960s facade. We caught up with Thore Horch, the venue\u2019s head of events, who gave us a tour of Kino International during its restoration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Haunted Ballroom<\/p>\n

Standing inside Kino International\u2019s famed Panorama Bar felt like living a scene from The Shining: silent, grand and eerily timeless. Although the bar\u2019s classic decor had been preserved, behind the counter, things had changed: improved utility setup and a deeper bar area, all to better serve modern audiences while preserving the venue\u2019s original feel. The wide, glass wall remained the same, offering an unbroken view over Karl-Marx-Allee.<\/p>\n

All faded glamour and 1960s modernism, the bar is so much more than just a break area. Standing there, it felt like a character in its own right, a memory of architecture and pleasure engrained in the minds of all who visit. The Berlinale has frequently used the space for its premieres, offering guests an unmatched view and ample space to mingle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the biggest plus of this cinema,\u201d noted Horch. \u201cYou can have everyone from a premiere here, all in the same place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"KinoInternational_2026_Aussen_Copyright-Daniel Horn<\/p>\n

Walking through the empty lobby, Horch explained that the last two years were about more than a facelift. It was a cultural mission. \u201cSome people call it a reconstruction,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s a renovation. That distinction matters. Everything will look the same as in its former glory.\u201d<\/p>\n

This cinema has run nearly non-stop for 60 years, pandemic aside. It deserves to keep going \u2013 not just as it was, but better.<\/p>\n

Indeed, preservation was paramount. From the seating chart to the curtain fabric, they safeguarded everything that audiences remembered \u2013 or romanticised \u2013 about Kino International. Even the Lynchian-style bathrooms, installed for the cinema\u2019s 50th anniversary, have stayed put. But behind the scenes, it was an overhaul. They replaced the wiring absolutely everywhere, renewing the AC system and redoing the massive roof (courtesy of city funding). Yorck Cinema Group, which purchased the venue in the mid-1990s, worked to maintain it over the decades. But this was the most ambitious undertaking yet.<\/p>\n

Behind The Magic<\/p>\n

Inside the auditorium, the sheer scale was breathtaking. All the seats were removed. The sweeping, curved ceiling \u2013 a signature feature of East German modernist architecture \u2013 hung above like a massive wave. Horch gestured toward a set of wooden panels stored in carefully labelled boxes, each one removed by hand and sent to a restoration specialist workshop for precise historical repair in Wei\u00dfensee. Wood, glass, stone: each element had its own material specialists working on it. Nothing was left to chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ceiling is a solid piece, custom-built for acoustics,\u201d Horch said. \u201cYou can\u2019t move it. You shouldn\u2019t. That\u2019s why we won\u2019t install ceiling speakers, even if that\u2019s the industry standard now. We\u2019re preserving the historic integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, they devised a way to upgrade the sound while protecting the building\u2019s character. The new sound system now offers 7.1 surround and a state-of-the-art laser projector. There\u2019s also capacity for analogue projection, ensuring the venue remains Berlinale or special-events ready, should archival prints ever need a home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Kino International opened, it was always intended to be technically top-notch,\u201d Horch explained. \u201cIt was the first cinema in East Germany to support stereo sound, and it was one of the first to go digital. That mindset hasn\u2019t changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even the new screen was a technical marvel: less curved than the original, since digital projection doesn\u2019t suffer the focus issues of older analogue systems. Still, the glittering curtains, iconic blue velvet and the room\u2019s unique acoustics all remained true to their origins.<\/p>\n

Sound is deeply embedded in the building\u2019s architecture. Its angled and slatted wooden wall panels aren\u2019t just aesthetic. They break up parallel surfaces, improving acoustics naturally.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need a mic to speak to 500 people here up at the front or back,\u201d Horch said. \u201cIt was designed that well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"KinoInternational_2026_Aussen_Copyright-Daniel Horn<\/p>\n

Past, Present and Future\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kino International will reopen on February 26, 2026. Originally, there was hope of reopening for the 2025 Berlinale, but the project\u2019s historical scope made that timeline impossible. Instead, the team focused on getting it right.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a living monument,\u201d Horch said. \u201cThis cinema has run nearly non-stop for 60 years, pandemic aside. It deserves to keep going \u2013 not just as it was, but better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later in the tour, we met with Yorck Kino Managing Director Christian Br\u00e4uer. He was passionate about the distinct identity of Berlin cinema culture and how Kino International fits into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheatrical experience is something we define differently here,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about blockbuster entertainment. It\u2019s about cinema as culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Br\u00e4uer noted a striking contrast between European and American audiences. While many US cinemas are still recovering from the pandemic, Berlin\u2019s arthouse sector is thriving, often with younger, more diverse crowds than before.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Yorck, we\u2019re already past pre-pandemic levels,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd younger people are coming back to the cinema \u2013 not just for the likes of Marvel, but for\u00a0The Zone of Interest,\u00a0Dune: Part Two\u00a0and\u00a0Shrek 2, in which masses donned green costumes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, that actually happened. Br\u00e4uer proudly recalled the 60th anniversary screenings that drew crowds in costume, turning the cinema into a community celebration. There are many revival screenings happening at the kino weekly. But Kino International isn\u2019t just fun; it\u2019s historically and politically significant.<\/p>\n

Br\u00e4uer recounted the premiere of Coming Out in 1989, a seminal queer East German film directed by Heiner Carow through the DEFA film production house. It screened at Kino International just as the Berlin Wall fell. That same week, Dirty Dancing was showing to packed audiences, symbolising the pull of Western culture.<\/p>\n

From the seating chart to the curtain fabric, everything that audiences remember \u2013 or romanticise \u2013 about Kino International is being safeguarded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the moment something changed forever,\u201d Br\u00e4uer said. \u201cIt was special, with this night and the Wall. It showed the changes in society. Before it wasn\u2019t possible to show queer movies, so here we had this reunified Germany and history being made at Kino International. And we\u2019ve shown Coming Out regularly ever since, with the original cast coming down. It\u2019s a tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, the cinema\u2019s legacy as a queer and inclusive space continues. Mongay, a regular series, screens queer cinema every Monday (its currently residing at Babylon Kreuzberg whilst renovations take place).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"KinoInternational_2026_Aussen_Copyright-Daniel Horn<\/p>\n

Cinema Forever<\/p>\n

For Br\u00e4uer, the mission of Kino International goes beyond preservation. He spoke of cinema as something hyper-local, deeply embedded in Berlin\u2019s\u00a0Kieze, and something that must adapt to remain relevant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea is not to be a museum, but to modernise responsibly. It\u2019s about sustainability, access and experience. We always ask: how do we make cinema part of daily life again?\u201d he said. \u201cNot just for cinephiles, but for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

That might mean screening a niche Asian arthouse film next to a crowd-pleasing European comedy. Or offering both German and English subtitles for major releases (and a lot of the smaller ones, too), something Kino International did successfully with The Zone of Interest, selling over 100,000 tickets, more than any other cinema worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cBerlin is changing,\u201d Br\u00e4uer said. \u201cSo are its audiences. But if we do it right, cinema can be dynamic, always evolving with the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Kino International reopens it will mark more than 60 years since its original launch with An Optimistic Tragedy in 1963. The Soviet film directed by Samson Samsonov, based on the play by Vsevolod Vishnevsky, represents the philosophical concept of the loss of the old making way for the new.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In many ways, the cinema itself has continued to make that statement ever since. The voyeurs of its panorama bar overlook Karl-Marx-Allee, a boulevard steeped in historic echoes. Kino International is a symbol of architectural pride, cultural identity and cinematic ambition, remembering its roots without getting stuck in the past. And upon reopening, this statement will ring out to the crowds through restored speakers and into the heart of a new wave of film. <\/p>\n

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