July 2021
At last the cinemas re-open their doors, and keep them open (wide) until the main feature starts. At least that was my experience of my matinee visit to see a new German film, Nebenan (Next Door) at Babylon Kreuzberg. Proof of one of the three Gs – geimpft, genesen, getestet – (vaccinated, recovered, tested), is required before a ticket can be purchased. Then one has to either have a Luca app on one’s phone with a personal QR code to register at the venue, or fill in an analogue slip of paper with contact details. And last but not least of course, wear a mask, at least until you get to your seat. Being a matinee, I would never expect a crowded auditorium but there were even fewer filmgoers than normal but it felt great to sit in a row of the red plush seats and even to watch the ads and trailers, a long missed treat. The film was pretty good too, having been filmed in Berlin with excellent German actors despite the pandemic.
Much was still taking place in the open air, some welcome, others not, and though it was the unpleasant events that happened elsewhere, beyond Berlin, whose ramifications were global, not just pertinent to Germany. Between 12th and 15th of the month, heavy rain fell across much of western Europe and areas of Germany suffered more than a month’s rain in 24 hours. In several towns in the north west the flooding was catastrophic and resulted in the deaths of at least 177 people, with many more injured and suffering loss of homes. The footage from not only Germany but Belgium, the Netherlands and other places was shocking in the scale and rapidity of destruction. The extremity of the weather and its consequences were clear signs of both the presence of climate catastrophe and the lack of investment having been put into prevention and protection. The anger and sense of urgency grew and though shocking to encounter, it was heartening to see protestors staging the tableau of a massacre at the foot of the TV Tower in central Berlin. Designed to alert passers-by not just to the climate crises but to an upcoming period of activism in August, I got the feeling there might have been more attention but that the attraction of another big LGBT+ demo on the same day may have diverted the crowds. The name of the permanent, cadaver-based exhibition: body-worlds added a touch of unintentional irony.
Another series of interesting talks and art events took place outside on Karl Marx Allee, around a specially adapted container which referenced a 1975 German film called Lina Braake Bank, initials LBB, in order to host a programme exploring the topic of money and its relationship to people and society. The setting was both striking and apposite.
Being the summer, the delights of outdoor swimming and growing plants provided a soothing respite.
On the way 