This year, the university cinema Gegenlicht is celebrating its 30th birthday. Founded in 1993, its doors are not only open to members of the university. It has always been run by students - on a voluntary basis and alongside their studies. Time for a visit.
Every Wednesday evening, stage 1 of the Unikum student theatre is transformed. A screen separates the screen from the auditorium, the surround sound system roars, the smell of popcorn fills the air and the red curtains and black folding seats create a very special atmosphere. Welcome to the student university cinema Gegenlicht!
The University of Oldenburg has had its own cinema since 1993. For the first three years it was known as the "AStA-Lichtspiele", since 1996 it has been called Gegenlicht. The cinema was renamed to emphasise its independence from the General Student Committee. Since its foundation, the Gegenlicht has been run by generations of university students on a voluntary basis. What has developed considerably over these 30 years is the technology. In the beginning, the films were shown on traditional celluloid, but today projectors, computers and Blu-rays are used. The cinema has only had its current location in the passageway between the canteen and the sports wing since 2015, before which film screenings took place in the large assembly hall in building A11.
In 2017, the cinema was on the brink of collapse
The cinema's history could have ended abruptly. In 2017, Gegenlicht briefly entered a crisis when the entire team at the time finished their studies and left the university. Philip Kaufmann, who studied art and media as well as English and philosophy, saved the university cinema almost single-handedly and formed a new team that continues the tradition to this day. "I love films and I love cinema culture," says Philip about his motivation. Today, he is responsible for the design of the Unikino and advises the team, which has now grown back to 16 people. Each person takes on different tasks and contributes their talents and interests to the work at Gegenlicht. "We support each other and make sure that no one is overburdened. After all, working at the Unikino should be fun for everyone involved," Philip continues. His colleague Benjamin Witte, who is studying maths and physics to become a teacher, sums up the good atmosphere in the group: "We're a pretty awesome team!"
A different film is shown in Gegenlicht every Wednesday evening during the lecture period. The films belong to a wide variety of genres - from romantic dramas to comedies and action films to sophisticated trash. Recent films include indie productions such as "5 Zimmer Küche Sarg" (2014), as well as animes, documentaries and cult classics, but also blockbusters such as "Casino Royale" (2006). Everyone is welcome to come to the cinema - even if they are not students or employees of the university. The Gegenlicht cinema expressly opens its doors to the entire public.
Popcorn and cold drinks are also on offer
The Unikino group decides democratically which films will be shown: Each team member may propose two films in turn. The group then votes on which of the two films will be included in the programme. "Because we also indicate on the website who suggested the film, the whole thing has a personal touch," explains art and media student Martina Höger. Whoever suggests the film will present it at the screening and explain some background information about the work to the audience. Not all films can be announced in advance on the website with their title, as the technical requirements for commercial licensing would exceed the budget and the larger studios in particular are reluctant to go to the trouble of holding small one-off screenings in university cinemas. Creativity is then called for, as was recently the case with the science fiction blockbuster "Avatar", which was quickly renamed "A blue science fiction film". The team also puts a lot of energy into the short descriptions on the website - another Unikino trademark. The texts get to the heart of what cinema-goers can look forward to. The films are also announced on a large monitor in the Mensa foyer, in various social networks and often also on the Stud.IP homepage.
On average, 30 people watch a film in the university cinema. "There's still room for improvement, as our cinema has space for up to 60 people," says Martina. The admission fee of three euros is certainly inviting, and visitors don't have to miss out on the typical cinema meal either: Fresh popcorn, made in a professional machine, and cold drinks can be purchased at reasonable prices. As the income from ticket sales and catering is not sufficient, the AStA subsidises the university cinema and thus guarantees that the cinema culture can be maintained with low-threshold prices. In the future, the cultural network association Unikino Gegenlicht e.V., which was founded at the end of 2022, will also contribute to the financing of larger purchases. The Chair is chemistry student Justin Klimek, who hopes that the founding of the association will also create a lasting network between active and former cinema operators. Above all, this should facilitate the handover to the next generation in order to prevent situations such as the near collapse of the university cinema in 2017.
In addition to the Wednesday screenings, the Unikino also organises events outside of the series. In the coronavirus summer of 2020, for example, the Gegenlicht team organised a drive-in cinema on the Wechloy campus with the support of the student union and the AStA. The Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast live in May. And the team also wants to come up with something special for the university's 50th anniversary next year. Justin has not yet revealed anything concrete, but promises a "worthy programme for the anniversary year" - so that it will be "Film ab!" again on a regular basis.
