2024
Berlin X Chengdu: Faraway, So Close!
Mobile Berlin Teahouse
New Urban Living Rooms 2024 Vol.1
15th September, 2024
📍Z/KU
3rd Berlin x Chengdu: Faraway, So Close!
‘Berlin x Chengdu’ is a popular annual series by CiLENS e.V., dedicated to strengthening cultural connections between Berlin and Chengdu, and uniting communities through their shared diversity, inclusivity, and vibrancy.
The program curates and introduces captivating independent film works made in and/or about Chengdu by filmmakers based in the region, offering the Berlin audience a unique lens into its socio-political and cultural panorama. Moving beyond the silver screen, we weave together music, intercultural dialogues, and various of Chengdu’s unique cultural elements to create an immersive experience for hundreds of participants, inviting audiences in Berlin to experience the dynamic synergy and celebrate the resonances between the two cities and their people.
Through this engaging experience, we hope that 'Berlin x Chengdu' transcends borders, fostering a profound exchange of culture, art, and ideas on a universal level.
This year, being integrated into ZK/U’s exciting re-opening program and funded by Fonds Soziokultur, we aim to create a special edition titled “Faraway, So Close!”. This volume aspires to spark discussions about urban transformation and community cultivation, continuously engaging the local community and promoting constant cultural exchange between Berlin/Germany and Chengdu/China. With the reopening of ZK/U, a significant cultural landscape in the city of Berlin, we are presented with a unique opportunity to deepen the cultural dialogue and extend the reach of our initiative.
We look forward to welcoming you to this year’s ‘Berlin x Chengdu’ and hope you will join us in celebrating the vibrant cultural exchanges that bridge these two cities. Through film, music, art, and conversation, we strive to bring Berlin and Chengdu closer together, demonstrating that despite the physical distance, the shared human experience and cultural appreciation can make us feel so close.
The event is part of the 2024 project “Pop-up Teahouse”, Supported by the Sociocultural Fund with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
2nd Open-Air Chinese Film Nights
The Feuerle Collection x CiLENS
05 - 06 July, 2024
📍The Feuerle Collection
We’re thrilled to invite you to the second edition of Open-air Chinese Film Nights on July 5 and 6, set in the stunning roof garden of The Feuerle Collection.
After the fantastic response to last year’s event, we're returning with more captivating films and our signature tea experience. Curated by Désiré Feuerle, each night will feature a short film followed by a feature-length movie.
✨ Open-air Chinese Film Nights 2024 ✨
🗓️ Friday, July 5, 2024
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The Third Solar Term (2021) by J.C. SONG
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The Last Year of Darkness (2023) by Ben Mullinkosson
🗓️ Saturday, July 6, 2024
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Mr. Sea (2014) by Xue Geng
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Fallen Angels (1995) by Wong Kar Wai
Throughout the evenings, indulge in a selection of exquisite Mariage Tea, specially crafted by tea practitioner Lin Wang. These refined and experimental teas will enhance your film-watching experience, engaging all your senses.
Join us for an enchanting evening of films and tea under the stars! 🍃🎥✨
Asian Queers Reunited
05 - 09 June, 2024
📍 @sinematranstopia
Curated by CiLENS e.V., co-curated by Beijing Queer Film Festival and Queer East
Asian Queers Reunited is an interdisciplinary film program that invites audiences to delve into the world of Asian queers and to embark on an intellectually and emotionally stimulating journey that explores the intersectionality of queer identity and sexuality, love and desire, both past and present.
Supported by Projekt ComE In and Sinema Transtopia,the program provides an in-depth and nuanced exploration into the wide spectrum of Asian queer cinema and the communities behind it.
We will be presenting two open-air short film programs curated by Beijing Queer Film Festival and QueerEast Film Festival, as well as five compelling feature films from across Asia, accompanied by two in-person director Q&A sessions.
Chinese Feeling Elsewhere
12 - 21 April, 2024
📍 @sinematranstopia
Endorsed and sponsored by SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA, this innovative interdisciplinary program delves into the concept of diaspora within the Sinophone context. Spanning two immersive weekends, we presented a carefully curated selection of 7 screenings, complemented by an exhilarating karaoke party and a multilingual poetry reading.
Through the powerful mediums of cinema, music, and poetry, we facilitated profound cultural transpositions between languages, continents, and emotions, inviting audiences to engage deeply with the complexities of human mobility.
2023
Open-Air Chinese Film Nights
The Feuerle Collection x CiLENS
September 2023
📍The Feuerle Collection
In collaboration with The Feuerle Collection, CiLENS presented an extraordinary open-air film screening featuring captivating works from the Chinese-speaking world, curated by Désiré Feuerle, during the Berlin Art Week 2023, from September 14-16.
In order to conceptually round up his Gesamtkunstwerk characterized by the guiding theme of sensuality and beauty, Désiré Feuerle has chosen a series of cinematic creations that artfully explore the subject of visceral desire in human life, encapsulating complex emotions and connections that resonate deeply with the human experience.
During the 3-day event, Open-air Chinese Film Nights showcased 11 incredibly diverse and imaginative films, including 2 feature-length films and 9 shorts, with the highlight being the finale film, Wong Kar-wai’s Happy Together. This cinematic journey, enriched by Lin Wang's curated tea experience, blended the richness of Chinese tea culture with the art of cinema for a unique sensory journey.
Berlin x Chengdu: A Second Date
June 29, 2023
📍ZK/U
This special open-air event stands as one of CiLENS’ signature cultural initiatives. With Chengdu as its focal point, cinema as its conduit, and food and culture as its connectors, this event graces Berlin’s stage. Beyond acquainting a wider Berlin audience with Chengdu, its purpose extends to constructing a link between two cities, two cultures, and their denizens. Notably, it stands out as CiLENS’ most engaging and diverse audi- ence-engaging endeavor.
Pop-up Teahouse 2023
The Chengdu Pop-Up Teahouse transported us all to the heart of Chengdu through tea sessions, a mahjong workshop, delicious homemade Sichuanese food and dessert. It was a true celebration of Chengdu’s unique charm- its cozy atmosphere, its slow and comfy lifestyle, and its positive attitude toward life.
2022
Berlin x Chengdu: an Encounter
July 14, 2022
📍ZK/U
The July event collaborates with ZK/U and is a special version of the Speisekino program. On 14th July, the Berlin x Chengdu Speisekino will be hosted at the open space of ZK/U with Chengdu street food, presentation, curated music, screening of short films by Chengdu emerging filmmakers and more.
I look forward to taking this opportunity to introduce my hometown Chengdu to the European audience and draw a connection between Berlin and Chengdu. I also hope to use the format of Speisekino to reach a wider community.
New Woman, New Narrative
April - June 2022
📍 @sinematranstopia
This film series explores the tension between China's pervasive patriarchy and women undergoing a feminist awakening. From a transgender teen to a rural poet, university students to lesbian activists, these women, while facing distinct challenges, create extraordinary narratives of resistance.
In April, we premiered with a documentary about Yu Xiuhua, an overnight sensation as China's best-known poet. The film delves into her literary journey, real-life experiences, and inner expressions. We also showcased a small exhibition of her poetry in Chinese and English.