Cinema Lives – Arthouse Theatres in Germany

Cinema Lives – Arthouse Theatres in Germany

2026
1h 42min

After the last film played at the legendary Arsenal arthouse cinema in Tübingen, director Goggo Gensch accompanies founder Stefan Paul – filmmaker, distributor, and tireless cineast – on a journey to the screens that shaped Germany’s arthouse cinema movement. Paul and companions tell of the beginnings of arthouse cinemas in the 1970s and their daily struggle for survival. Icons like John Waters and Wim Wenders contribute personal memories, while the Hof International Film Festival celebrates underground films.

Cinema Lives – Arthouse Theatres in Germany

Storyline

After the last film played at the legendary Arsenal arthouse cinema in Tübingen, director Goggo Gensch accompanies founder Stefan Paul – filmmaker, distributor, and tireless cineast – on a journey to the screens that shaped Germany’s arthouse cinema movement. Paul and companions tell of the beginnings of arthouse cinemas in the 1970s and their daily struggle for survival. Icons like John Waters and Wim Wenders contribute personal memories, while the Hof International Film Festival celebrates underground films.
Cast