2024
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.
