OpenAir-Kino der Kulturfabrik Moabit

Hof Windlicht behind the Kulturfabrik on Lehrter Straße accommodates around 100 guests between old brick walls and the tracks of the long-distance railway. For over three decades, the volunteer association Filmrausch Moabit has been showing original versions with subtitles, its own series like Reel Love and Gamerausch, as well as surprise films with free admission.

Courtyard Between Brick and Railway Tracks

The open-air cinema of Kulturfabrik Moabit is located at Lehrter Straße 35; the courtyard itself is called Windlicht and is enclosed by old brick walls and the tracks of the long-distance railway. From Hauptbahnhof, bus 123 goes three stops to Kruppstraße, about a ten-minute walk. From Turmstraße, Reinickendorfer Straße, or Wedding station, you can take the M27 to Quitzowstraße. There are no private parking spaces. Behind the gate lies a cultural area with workshops, rehearsal rooms, and a garden, which is completely unpolished, and the screen has been there for more than three decades. The operation is run by the Filmrausch Moabit association, which has managed the cinema entirely on a voluntary basis since 1991; the Kulturfabrik association is the owner of the premises. Around 100 guests can be accommodated in the courtyard. The location is one of the last unromanticized cultural spots in northern Mitte, and part of its appeal lies precisely in this rawness that the courtyard has retained despite all the upgrades around it.

Series with a Statement: Umsonst und Draußen, Reel Love, Gamerausch

What’s special about this open-air cinema are its series. “Umsonst und Draußen” (Free and Outdoors) features surprise films in English original versions with German subtitles, and admission is free. “Reel Love” combines a film with a subsequent get-to-know-you format and costs 8.00 Euros, or 7.00 Euros reduced. For “Gamerausch,” an interactive mobile game is part of the program, along with a film discussion. “Offene Leinwand” (Open Screen) provides a stage for local filmmakers, including audience Q&A, and classic film series on Clint Eastwood or Jean-Pierre Melville complete the picture. The focus throughout is on original versions with subtitles. In case of rain, the screening moves to the indoor cinema Filmrauschpalast on the first floor, which has 60 seats, 4K projection, and 35mm and 16mm technology. The foyer offers drinks and small snacks, but explicitly no popcorn. The venue is not barrier-free; several steps without a lift lead to the auditorium. Because the association manages everything itself, prices are significantly lower than commercial venues, and the audience often knows each other from previous events.