On 11 June 1981, the dream of a cinema of their own came true for a group of passionate cineastes: a "cinema with workshop and drinks counter", in other words "Der Filmladen", opened in a converted warehouse at Goethestraße 31 and the non-profit association Filmladen Kassel e. V. was founded. What began with discarded wooden cinema chairs, an old 16 mm projector, an overdraft facility and no heating has quickly developed into the (film) cultural hub of North Hesse and far beyond. For more than 40 years, the Filmladen has been offering its audience a diverse programme consisting of more than 8,500 films, which have been seen by a good 1.5 million viewers in around 60,000 screenings.
When selecting films, the team takes particular account of artistically significant productions that are rarely or never shown in commercial cinemas. These include socially and politically committed works, experimental and documentary films, independent productions as well as films of historical relevance.
In addition to the cinema operations, a wide range of other activities has developed over the years: Kassel Children's Film Festival in the Easter and autumn holidays and the Open-Air Film Festival in the courtyard of Dock 4. The highlight of the annual programme is the Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival, which is an important forum for national and international documentary film and video works.
