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The Berlinale begins…

9. Februar 2012 in Berlin, Circus News, Festivals, Film by Paul

circus berlinale

…and we’ve got some wonderful goodie bags for filmgoers available from the hotel reception and created by our wonderful team at Fabisch. The “movie bags” come with popcorn, gummi bears, water, sparkling wine, pretzels and the sandwich of your choice, and are the perfect packed lunch for a busy day of film screenings. Also, guests of the Circus should also keep an eye out for our special ticket giveaways, held an alternate days, giving you the chance to win free tickets to a surprise screening of our choice. Who knows what you might discover.

Want more? Then check out our very special Circus Guide to the Berlinale, or visit the film festival website here.

Have fun!

Exclusive Film Screening: Dreams of a Life

6. Februar 2012 in Berlin, Events, Film by Paul

BFS Dreamsofalife

As part of Berlin Black History Month, the Berlin Film Society are presenting an exclusive screening of the critically acclaimed British independent film ‘Dreams of a Life’. The film tells the true story of Joyce, who died in her London flat but who was not discovered for three years, when her body was finally found surrounded by just-wrapped Christmas presents and with the television still on.

The film interweaves interviews with imagined scenes of Joyce’s life, and is a portrait not only of Joyce but of London, of urban lives, and how someone can somehow slip off the radar in the middle of our contemporary society. The screening will be held on the 13th February at 8.30pm at the Babylon Kino here in Berlin Mitte, and will be followed by a discussion and Q & A with the film’s Director Carol Morley, leading actress Zawe Ashton, and will be moderated by good friend of the Circus, Sharmaine Lovegrove, the founder of Dialogue Books.

Tickets cost €8 (€4 for Society members) and it promises to be a truly memorable evening, so go check it out. Here’s the trailer:

The Circus Guide to the Berlinale 2012

3. Februar 2012 in Berlin, Events, Festivals, Film by Paul

BerlinaleOh baby, it’s coming soon! The cultural head honchos of our home city appear to understand that when Berlin’s winter really bites, then Christmas as a diversionary tactic is simply not going to cut it, so through January and February there are a whole number of different events taking place around the city to keep our souls warm including one of the world’s finest film festivals.

Indeed, for the average cinema-going Joe and Josephine, who has no press credentials and belongs to no list – A, B, C, or otherwise – then the Berlinale is regarded as particularly welcoming due to the number of general sale tickets there are available, including to the red carpet premieres. But to be honest, the camera-snapping, mayor-attending big shows are not the highlight of this event… No, the highlight comes with the discovery of films that you just know will never make it to your neighbourhood arthouse cinema, let alone the local WorldofCineMegaPlex, as the world brings their films to the German capital and puts them up there on the big screens of the Berlinale for everyone to see.

OK, so that all sounds great, right? But the question is, “what about the practicalities, man?” Ah yes, it is important to know how this thing works. The official website, it has to be said, has a wealth of information, but we have pulled out some of the most useful bits for the annual…

…CIRCUS GUIDE TO THE BERLINALE

Part I – When and Where on Earth… ?

The 62nd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival will take place from the 9th – 19th February. Most of the cinemas are around the Potsdamer Platz, although there are participating venues throughout the city. Check out the VENUES page on the official website for more information including maps and stuff.

Part II – The Fillums

Much of the glamour around the festival comes from the Competition, which is where filmmakers from around the world go head to head to be awarded the prestigious Golden Bear. But actually much of the joy of the Berlinale can be found in the other sections, which are as follows:

PANORAMA – showcases new films, new directors and new discoveries from around the world. All films will be holding their world or European premiere, and this is the corner of the festival where you will find lots of international film buyers looking for the next big thing.

FORUM – avant garde, experimental, young filmmakers… this is the most “out there” section of the programme, where, in the words or the organisers, the festival “straddle(s) the line between art and cinema.”

GENERATION – short and feature films aimed at children and young people, and hosted in the main by the House of World Cultures in the Tiergarten.

PERSPEKTIVE DEUTSCHES KINO – 12 filmmakers selected to showcase the best in German cinematic talent.

RETROSPECTIVE – what is says in the tin. In 2012 the title of the Retrospective section is “The Red Dream Factory” and showcases the rediscovered and legendary German-Russian film studio: Mezhrabpom-Film and its German branch Prometheus, who wrote film history from 1922 to 1936.

HOMAGE – this section always pays, well, homage to one personality from the world of film. This year’s recipient is Meryl Streep, and audiences have the chance to see seven of her films from the 1977 work Kramer vs Kramer to her most recent portrayal of the British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. For some reason, there is no screening of Mama Mia(!).

The programme goes online at the beginning of February and can be found here: PROGRAMME

Part III – Ti-ckets!

If you will be Berlin over the 10 days of the festival, then of course the question you want answered is: how do we get in to see the films? Well, its relatively easy. Beginning on the 6th February, films go on sale at the ticket offices and a limited allocation through the Berlinale website.

You can only purchase films less than 3 days in advance (4 days for competition films), and on the day of the screening tickets are only available at the specific box office. The central ticket sales points are at the Arkaden on Potsdamer Platz, the Kino International on Karl-Marx-Allee, and the Urania near Nollendorfplatz (open times for all sales points: 10am-8pm).

There are different prices for special screenings and premieres, and at the time of writing prices have not be confirmed, but most tickets are usually around €8. Detailed ticket information is available online at the Berlinale website, here: TICKETS

Enjoy the festival, and keep your eyes pealed both on the blog and at the Circus for the chance to win some tickets to Berlinale screenings as part of the by-now-annual Circus Berlinale Ticket Giveaway!

A Tour Around Berlin in 1929

11. Januar 2012 in Berlin, Film, History, Stuff We Like by Paul

Just over three minutes will take you back to the Haupstadt in 1929… fascinating glimpse of the city as it was, and thanks to In Berlin and Slow Travel Berlin for the head’s up…

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

9. Januar 2012 in Berlin, Events, Film by Paul


On Wednesday evening the Moviemento Kino on Kottbusser Damm in Kreuzberg will be holding the premiere of William S. Burroughs: A Man Within, which is a feature length documentary about the iconic American beat author, by the Chicago director Yony Leyser. The film features previously unseen footage of William S. Burroughs, as well as interviews with some of his friends and colleagues such as David Cronenberg, Patti Smith, Gus Van Sant, Iggy Pop and more.

William S. Burroughs was one of the America’s most iconic “men of letters” during the second half of the 20th Century. Despite struggling throughout his life with addiction, the accidental killing of his wife, and difficulties with the legal system both in the United States and abroad, Burroughs created some works of literature – especially the novel Naked Lunch, which was one of the last books to be banned by the US government – that are rightly regarded as modern classics.

Some notes from the filmmakers:

“William Burroughs was one of the first to cross the dangerous boundaries of queer and drug culture in the 1950s, and write about his experiences. Eventually he was hailed the godfather of the beat generation and influenced artists for generations to come. However, his friends were left wondering, did William ever find happiness? This extremely personal documentary breaks the surface of the troubled and brilliant world of one of the greatest authors of all time.”

Well worth checking out.

Premiere on the 11th January, and then daily from the 12th – in original version with German subtitles. Moviemento Kino Berlin – Kottbusser Dam 22, Berlin.

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within Official Website

Eyewitness History: A Film about the ZZB and The Circus

5. Januar 2012 in Berlin, Circus Talks, Film, History by Paul

You can read more about the ZZB and the cooperation with the Circus on an article at Slow Travel Berlin.

Many thanks go to Dougal and Ruby for such an excellent job with the film:

About the Filmmakers:

Dougal Squires has worked with Insight Radio in Glasgow and BBC Switch in London. He now lives in Berlin and has contributed to Artconnect Berlin and Slow Travel Berlin. Ruby Pester is a Scottish  artist living and working in Berlin. She creates collaborative and interactive performance projects and has recently worked with the Agora Collective and BBC Scotland and currently works with Artconnect Berlin.

Circus Blog 2011 Review Part Two – July to December

21. Dezember 2011 in Art, Beer, Berlin, Berlin Wall Anniversary, Books, Christmas Market, Circus Apartments, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Design, Events, Festivals, Film, Football, History, Media, Multitude, Music, Photography, Review of 2011, The Kitchen by Paul

2011reviewparttwo

Okay, so we reached the middle of the year yesterday in our review of 2011 via Circus blogposts, and as the cold wind blows outside the windows of the office here on Rosenthaler Platz it is hard to picture those warm and sunny days of barbecues in the park where we left things, but we will use the power of the blog and an ability to link to take us back to the recent past…

July. The Women’s Football World Cup got serious as we reached the knock-out stages. Germany, as always, were great hosts of the tournament, but they fell foul on the pitch to a surprise defeat at the hands of the eventual winners Japan. Here at The Circus we made a film, brought Dandy of the Grotesque into Fabisch, and began our tours to Kreuzberg with Jim Hudson whilst Jule and the other Jim took people to explore Marzahn.

Into August and Rani delivered the first designs for the new cafe and lounge at the apartments, whilst Sasa and the gang began the long process of deciding what special things would be served there. Berlin commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall with a series of different events and exhibitions around the city, whilst we met a 70 year-old on his birthday who had been born in the very building that now houses The Circus Hotel. Meanwhile Andrew was having a weekly struggle with the weather, Toga was off to watch his team at the Olympic Stadium, and Sandra was getting “in the mood” with her plans for new apartments. It all seems so long ago…

In September we met Carl Oskar for the first time when he popped by the hotel for a visit, but otherwise it was work, work, work, work, on the Circus Apartments. Meanwhile, we were checking out the international literature festival, and many of our guests were gaining our complete admiration as they took on the Berlin Marathon course. As we moved into autumn a friend of ours published a book on a subject close to the hearts of the English-speaking staff members of The Circus – beer – whilst Preston ran a special photography tour for the festival of lights and Digel waved to passing members of the St Pauli football team on Torstraße.

Into November and we hosted the inaugural meeting of the Berlin St Georges Supporters Club down in Goldman’s Bar, began our new fundraising campaign with our friends at Multitude, celebrated Thanksgiving in the Circus Cafe and drank our first glasses of glühwein at the Berlin Christmas Markets.

And so we reach December and the end of 2011. Sometimes December can be a calm and quiet month at The Circus, but not this year. We had a film crew come by the hostel to make a special clip for our website (coming soon!) but mostly we were getting the apartments ready for launch, which we did last week.

So as Christmas and New Year’s Eve approaches, we reach the end of our special review of 2011 (part two), and we would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone – guests, staff, partners and friends – who have been with us during 2011 and the next year of the Circus story. In 2012 the Circus will be FIFTEEN years old… who could imagine what would have happened when the doors opened on that first 40-bed building close to Friedrichstraße.

Ah, enough of the nostalgia. See you soon.

Circus Blog 2011 Review Part One – January to June

20. Dezember 2011 in Art, Bars, Beer, Berlin, Books, Circus Apartments, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Circus Talks, Design, Events, Fabisch, Festivals, Film, Football, History, Hungry Jared, Media, Music, Our Neighbourhood, Review of 2011, Rosentage, Slow Travel Day, Stuff We Like, The Berg Gallery by Paul

2011reviewpartoneIn amongst all the excitement of the opening of the Apartments last week, we missed the second birthday of this lovely blog, and so we thought we would use the chance to not only say “Happy Birthday” to ourselves, but have a look back at a year in the Circus through our blog posts. Now quite a lot of things have happened to us over the past twelve months, so we have decided to split this into two and begin with the first six months of the year.

In January we launched our cooperation with the ZeitzeugenBörse for our series of eyewitness history talks, which are still continuing each month in Fabisch, and we have a very special treat and surprise on this topic coming up in January…so keep your eyes open! We also recieved the happy news that The Circus Hotel had once again been selected for the Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards, voted for by people who have stayed with us at the hotel and a wonderful achievement for the second year in a row. Later in month Judith and Lisanne took some guests on a special Long Night of the Museums Tour, whilst Jared started on his mission to eat around Berlin.

February might be the shortest month but there was lots going on, especially as the Berlinale was in town. We also prepared a very special welcome for a very special friend of ours.  March was completely packed, with a renovation of the Circus Cafe just in time for all the different events of our Slow Travel Day, including tours, film screenings, a pop-up bookshop and much more, whilst our small Kunstbox at the hostel became host for the Pictosplasma festival. Over at the hotel Marie Jacobi brought Rapunzel to the tower, where she still sits…

Into spring and we welcomed the Berg Gallery to our Kunstbox, celebrated Hertha’s return to the Bundesliga, and continued our obession with you know who. As the weather continued to get warmer the fun and games carried on, with a visit of Gino the Clown to the hostel, we sadly waved goodbye to Konny as he left the Circus (we still miss you), and made the first announcement of the new Circus Apartments.

As the summer arrived we headed up onto the roof of the Circus Hotel for yoga sessions, and worked with our neighbours on the Rosentage neighbourhood and cultural festival. We reached the halfway point of the year with Lisa hosting “Europe’s Most Awesome Barbecue” in Mauerpark.

Phew…and we are only halfway there. Part Two of the 2011 review will be on the blog in the next couple of days…

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