Exhibitions
Screenings

Inventing Queer Cinema

7 May–13 Sep 26

Exhibition and Film program

Queer cinema reveals the stories, experiences and realities of queer people – for the most part beyond normative expectations and societal structures. In doing so, it also often questions cinematic conventions and develops its own visual languages of resistance.

This exhibition casts the spotlight on films and the people who made them possible: the filmmakers, festival organisers, cinema operators and film distributors who have shaped and consistently reinvented queer cinema in Germany since the 1970s. One of its key focuses is on Berlin as a centre of queer film and subculture, broadened by perspectives from international artists. The display includes film and photo installations, objects, documents and other archival materials – including, for the first time, holdings from the archive of the Salzgeber film distribution company. A prologue features early examples from the 1910s from the Deutsche Kinemathek’s own collection to establish the historical context while dedicated sections explore the role of television. The exhibition extends across the Halle, the Schaltwerk and the Studio Kino. A comprehensive series of films and accompanying events complement the programme.

“Inventing Queer Cinema” tells a story of resistance, solidarity and innovation that continues to the present day. The exhibition invites visitors to further explore this narrative and to keep on rediscovering queer cinema.


 

How-to-visit

Halle

A large-scale video installation in the historic Halle (ground floor) forms the centerpiece of the exhibition. The tour through the Halle presents film excerpts, interviews, archive materials and iconic images to tell a story of queer film history, starting in 1970s Berlin and beyond the mainstream. 

Film program

The Studiokino (ground floor) is showing national and international films during the opening hours of the exhibition. The program comprises a total of 96 films from seven decades and 34 countries. Admission is included in the price of the entrance ticket. The cinema has 28 seats and it is not necessary to register – first come, first served. A season ticket grants multiple visits to the cinema. → View the film program

Schatzkammer (Treasure Chamber)

Take the elevator to the building’s former Schaltwerk (switch room) on the 2nd floor to find objects, photos and documents presented in the form of an installation that offers insights into the history of queer cinema.

Tickets

€10 regular, €7 concessions, free for young people, €25 season ticket.

Tickets can be purchased on site (card payment only) or online. A season ticket grants unlimited visits for the duration of the exhibition (can only be purchased online). → To the online ticket shop

Opening times

Thu–Sun 10:00–18:00, closed Mon–Wed

Age recommendation

The exhibition is recommended for visitors aged 14 and above. Some of the films being screened in the Studiokino have age ratings of 16 or 18+. Further information can be found in our film program.

Content notes

Some of the works and film excerpts contain depictions of violence, sexuality and nudity. In addition, topics such as discrimination, mental health issues and suicide are explored. The projection on the three large screens intermittently features high-impact audiovisual techniques, including strobe-like and rapidly changing image sequences.

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Artistic director: Heleen Gerritsen

Executive director: Florian Bolenius

Head of exhibitions and film-related archives: Peter Mänz

Idea & Curator: Björn Koll

Curatorial team Deutsche Kinemathek: Kristina Jaspers, Georg Simbeni, Nils Warnecke

Project manager: Georg Simbeni

Project coordination: Andrea Rieder

Exhibition management: Vera Thomas

Television concept and content: Klaudia Wick, Tom Winter

Event program: Toby Ashraf

Editing: Concept AV: Stanislaw Milkowski

Studiokino: Caroline Behrend, Dennis Vetter

Research: Philipp Keidl

Text editing in German and Plain Language: Corina Alt, Pia Oddo, Christiane Weidemann

English translation: Rachel Mathews

Scenography: chezweitz GmbH, museale & urbane Szenografie: Sonja Beeck und Detlef Daiber-Weitz with Jan Stauf and Sara Omassi (Project management)

Exhibition graphics: chezweitz GmbH: Lisa Jung, Leonie Lange with Detlef Daiber-Weitz

Picture editing and graphics: Salzgeber: Johann Peter Werth

Media technician: Nils Maushagen

Exhibition office interns: Lukas Lüderitz, Ida Sophie Muus

 

Supported by Hauptstadtkulturfonds and Queere Kulturstiftung