Kino International, Cinema theater in Karl-Marx-Allee, Berlin, Germany
Kino International is a cinema theater on Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin-Mitte with a distinctive three-story reinforced concrete structure, light sandstone facades, and a nine-meter-high ground floor that stands without interior support columns. The main hall seats 555 people, and a panorama bar allows visitors to view the street through large windows before screenings.
Kino International opened on 15 November 1963 with the Soviet film Optimistic Tragedy, in the presence of Walter Ulbricht. Until 1989 it served as the GDR's main premiere cinema for DEFA films. Its last East German premiere was Heiner Carow's Coming Out on 9 November 1989, the day the Berlin Wall fell. After 1990 it was renovated and placed under heritage protection.
Hand-painted film posters cover the window displays as artworks, and the theater programs European and independent films often shown in their original languages. This approach reflects a commitment to cinema that looks beyond mainstream commercial offerings.
Showtimes and access vary according to the film schedule, so checking the current program before your visit is helpful. The location on a major boulevard with good transit connections makes it easy to reach, and the panorama bar offers a comfortable space to spend time before screenings.
The last GDR premiere at the Kino International was Heiner Carow's gay-themed film Coming Out, shown on 9 November 1989, the very evening the Berlin Wall fell. The cinema had been the main premiere venue of the state-owned DEFA studios since 1963, and the building has been under heritage protection since 1990.
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