Information
About Looking Back to the Present
Program
Contemporary cinema looks back to the past. Digitally restored archive films are seen in a new light on the screen. The Kinemathek invites filmmakers and the public to a dialogue across seven film programs. In the Hall of E-Werk, we will be screening films with a connection between today and yesterday. Welcome to our temporary cinema space for films, talks and an electronic sound experience!
Guests
We look forward to welcoming numerous guests and production teams who will attend the screenings and talk to us about their films afterward. The lineup includes renowned filmmakers such as Ulrike Ottinger and Helke Sander, as well as representatives of a new generation, including Julian Radlmaier and Michal Kosakowski, whose films have premiered in Locarno and Venice. Musician Sky Deep will also be performing a live electronic music score for a silent film classic for the first time.
Venue
Following its successful launch as part of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February, and two events during our film heritage festival “Film Restored”, the Kinemathek Hall is once again opening its doors for film events. Audiences can look forward to a cinematic experience that goes beyond the traditional movie theater event. “Looking Back to the Present” combines historical films from the Kinemathek’s archives with current, internationally acclaimed German productions. A total of 20 films will be shown across seven programs.
Tickets
Tickets are available directly at our box office or in our online ticket shop. The regular ticket price is €10.
A reduced ticket price of €7 is available for students, holders of a disability ID card, unemployed visitors, and recipients of citizen’s allowance (Bürgergeld), among others. Free admission is granted, for example, to children and young people up to the age of 18, as well as members of the Friends of the Deutsche Kinemathek.
For more information about free admission and reduced ticket prices, please visit our Plan your visit page.
Films
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Aloha
Go to filmGER 2016, directed by Ulrike Ottinger, 25 min, OmeU
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Ariel
Go to filmFRG 1984, directed by Angelika Levi, Lilly Grote, 12 min, OV
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A Thousand Waves Away
Go to filmGER 2025, directed by Helena Wittmann, 10 min, OV
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Anziehen (Getting Dressed)
Go to filmFRG 1979, directed by Ute Aurand, Bärbel Freund, Monika Vogel, Sibylle Tiedemann, 9 min, OmeU
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Berlinfieber – Wolf Vostell (Berlin Fever)
Go to filmBRD 1973, directed by Ulrike Ottinger, 12 min, OmeU
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Cultural Nationalism
Go to filmBRD 1969, directed by Skip Norman, 11 min, OmU
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Das Frühstück der Hyäne (The Hyena’s Breakfast)
Go to filmFRG 1986, directed by Elfi Mikesch, 23 min, OmeU
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Der Anschlag (The Attack)
Go to filmFRG 1984, directed by Pia Frankenberg, 9 min, OV
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Familiengruft – ein Liebesgedicht an meine Mutter (Family Crypt – A Love Poem to My Mother)
Go to filmFRG 1983, directed by Maria Lang, 12 min, OmeU
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Holofiction
Go to filmGER, A 2025, directed by Michal Kosakowski, 102 min, original version
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Jarramplas
Go to filmGER 2025, directed by Yalda Afsah, 15 min, no dialogue
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Menschen am Sonntag (People on Sunday)
Go to filmGER 1930, directed by Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, 74 min, OmeU
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Regen fiel auf nichts Neues (Rain Fell on the Nothing New)
Go to filmGER 2025, directed by Steffen Goldkamp, 85 min, OmU
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Rückblickend betrachtet (In Retrospect)
Go to filmGER 2025, directed by Daniel Asadi Faezi, Mila Zhluktenko, 14 min, OmeU
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Schweigend ins Gespräch vertieft (Silently Engrossed in Conversation)
Go to filmFRG 1980, directed by Ute Aurand, 8 min, OmeU
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Schwesterherz (The Good Sister)
Go to filmGER/ES 2025, directed by Sarah Miro Fischer, 96 min, OmeU
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Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen (Phantoms of July)
Go to filmGER 2025, directed by Julian Radlmaier, 90 min, OmeU
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Still Moving
Go to filmGER 2009, directed by Ulrike Ottinger, 29 min, OmeU
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Subjektitüde
Go to filmFRG 1966, directed by Helke Sander, FRG 1966, 5 min, OmeU
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Usinimage
Go to filmBRD 1987, directed by Ulrike Ottinger, 10 min, OmeU
All events
Fotos
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Das E-Werk, das neue Zuhause der Kinemathek, leuchtet – der Abend kann beginnen. © Nancy Jesse
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Visual, Fotowand und natürlich neugierige Besucher*innen: So beginnt der Eröffnungsabend unserer Filmreihe »Looking Back to the Present«. © Nancy Jesse
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Heleen Gerristen, die seit Juni 2025 die Kinemathek künstlerisch leitet, begrüßt die Gäste. © Nancy Jesse
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In dieser Halle wurde getanzt und gearbeitet – einst Technoclub in den 90ern, früher Elektrizitätswerk – und heute zeigen wir hier Filme. © Nancy Jesse
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Toby Ashraf hat die Reihe kuratiert und freut sich auf die Gespräche mit den Filmteams und dem Publikum. © Nancy Jesse
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Die erste Projektion: Ein Kurzfilm von Skip Norman mit der Stimme von Bobby Seale, Mitbegründer der Black Panther Party. © Nancy Jesse
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Mit Screens und Sounds zum Highlight des Abends: Multimediakünstlerin Sky Deep interpretiert ›Menschen am Sonntag‹ live mit elektronischen Beats. © Nancy Jesse
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Sky Deep warnte das Publikum, es sich nicht zu gemütlich zu machen, und lieferte dann absolut tanzbare Musik zum Stummfilmklassiker. © Nancy Jesse
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Was ein schöner Auftakt! Künstlerische Leitung Heleen Gerritsen und Musikerin Sky Deep freuen sich über diesen besonderen Abend. © Nancy Jesse
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Nach dem Film ist vor dem Film: Unsere Gäste studieren das weitere Programm. © Nancy Jesse
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Kein Klischee – Filme bringen wirklich zusammen! Kurator Toby Ashraf begeistert das sichtlich. © Nancy Jesse
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Die beliebten Plakate zur Filmreihe können Sie natürlich mitnehmen. © Nancy Jesse
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Einfach vorbeikommen oder online Tickets holen: Bis zum 19.12. können Sie uns im E-Werk besuchen, Filme schauen und spannenden Gästen lauschen. © Nancy Jesse
Credits
Credits
Curation
Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek
Represented by
Heleen Gerritsen, Florian Bolenius
Concept
Heleen Gerritsen
Program
Toby Ashraf
Event coordination
Sara Smet
Communication and marketing
Jonas Haaf, Jonas Scheler, Ronja Seifert
Press
Heidi Berit Zapke
Online editor
Michaela Neukirch
Social media
Nyamjargal Ganbold 
Event technicians
Nils Maushagen, Frank Köppke, Roberti Siefert
Thanks to
Arsenal – Institut für Film und Videokunst, Yalda Afsah, Berlinale – Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin, Blue Monticola Film GmbH, Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin, eksystent filmverleih, Grandfilm, Steffen Goldkamp, Kosakowski Films, Ulrike Ottinger Filmproduktion, Tamtam Film, Square Eyes, Helena Wittmann