“We do it because we like to have fun,” smiled Manuel Emmelmann, the creator of Fersehen-Unter-Tage, an urban cinematographic project for students and young people in Leipzig. A student not so long ago, Manuel tells about his fascination with cinema, and old films in particular, which inspired him to start a project for those who share his passion.
Fersehen-Unter-Tage, translated as “Movies Beneath Days,” is celebrating its fifth year. The project already has a unique reputation and is well-known among young people in Leipzig. The information about each monthly showing is delivered either by word-of-mouth or through the project’s mailing system. You never know what the organizers are planning to show each time. All you get is a date, a meeting point and an address, which no online map is able to identify.
“Smoking and snogging is permitted,” finishes up their provocative email sent out to patrons. “We want to trick and play with the audience,” said Emmelmann.
Finding the right spot, however, turns out to be pretty simple because you suddenly flow into a diverse flux of young people heading in the same direction. Some of them are discussing jobs and classes; some are drinking beer or whispering something to a beloved one. Many are on their bikes. In the dark shadows of the falling night, they all seem confident and assured of what’s ahead.
In the dim light of a streetlamp, you climb over an old rusty fence and reach the premises of an abandoned factory. It’s dark, empty and — if you shed some light — covered in graffiti. Only bleak sparks of neon point the way. There is a magnetism about the event that attracts students.
A vast room below the ground floor is already filled with people. They send greetings to friends and make themselves comfortable on the saggy prehistoric couches, chairs and blankets strewn around the place. There is even a minibar with some beer, chips and pretzels in the corner. A laptop, some cables and a white portable screen are in the middle. The lights go out and the showing begins.
Following their passion, the organizers of Fernsehen-Unter-Tage show American, German and Soviet movies from the 1920s to 1930s. Every once in a while, they are gangster films or documentaries by already renowned or young directors. At the end, there is always a detailed and heated discussion between guests and organizers. “No political or social agenda implied,” explained Emmelmann, “just darkness and good movies.”
With the University of Leipzig at its heart, Leipzig boasts a very dynamic student life and culture. Numerous self-funded youth organizations and clubs — official and non-official — create a canvas for social, political and cultural activities in the city. Watching movies in abandoned industrial buildings is an intriguing development that exists in some German and European cities with a good deal of unused urban facilities. Although using these premises is illegal, it only augments the excitement of the event and allows a thrilling break from routine and conventional entertainment.
Nadja Panchenko is a graduate student studying journalism and American studies who attended Ohio University last quarter and is a columnist for The Post. She is continuing her studies at Leipzig University. Email her at np577711@ohiou.edu.
