Traversing spaces and capturing what is found are the starting points and requirements for the work of filmmaker Thomas Arslan. Through precisely and sensitively composed imagery, Arslan traces individual lives and fragile identities. Many of his narratives explore moments of upheaval and transformation since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 – the focus of this exhibition project at Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.). The changing city is so closely intertwined with the cinematic characters that it serves not merely as a backdrop but as a protagonist itself. Featuring video projections, storyboards, archival material, and new works presented for the first time, this exhibition is the first overview worldwide of Arslan’s oeuvre. In conjunction with the exhibition, the director’s complete filmography will be presented in cooperation with Kino Arsenal and accompanied by discussions with film experts and guests.

Thomas Arslan (*1962 in Braunschweig, lives in Berlin) gained prominence for his Berlin trilogy Geschwister – Kardeşler (Brothers and Sisters, 1997), Dealer (1999), and Der schöne Tag (A Fine Day, 2001), which focus on the lives of young German-Turks in Berlin. Arslan has taken part in the Berlinale several times, and in 2017, his road movie Helle Nächte (Bright Nights) won the Silver Bear for “Best Actor” (Georg Friedrich). Burnt Earth (2024), the sequel to his thriller In the Shadows (2010), premiered at the Berlinale in 2024. His repertoire includes Mach die Musik leiser (Turn Down the Music, 1994), Ferien (Vacation, 2007), Aus der Ferne (From Far Away, 2006), and Gold (2013). Arslan’s contributions to cinema were showcased in the extensive retrospective The Berlin School: Films from the Berlin School at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (2013). Arslan has served as a professor of narrative film at the Berlin University of the Arts since 2007.

Exhibition

Neuer Berliner Kunstverein

June 8 – August 4, 2024

Chausseestraße 128/129, 10115 Berlin

Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 12–6 pm / Thursday 12–8 pm

Free admission

Accessibility

The exhibition space of Neuer Berliner Kunstverein is located on the ground floor and are wheelchair accessible via a side entrance or the front door (mobile ramp).

Art Outreach

In collaboration with the rampe:aktion collective, students from the international German learners class at Carl-von-Ossietzky-Schule in Kreuzberg will delve into the cinematic work of Thomas Arslan. This artistic outreach project focuses on two films: Am Rand (1990) and its sequel, Am Rand Revisited (2024). Students will watch and analyze these experimental short films in depth, using them as a springboard for creating their own experimental films. The project will culminate in a public presentation of the students’ work at n.b.k.

Saturday, July 13, 2024, 3 pm

Film presentation

Venue: Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Chausseestraße 128/129, 10115 Berlin

Film program – Thomas Arslan retrospective

Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art

June 15 – August 4, 2024

Location: Arsenal Cinema in the Filmhaus at Potsdamer Platz

Potsdamer Str. 2, 10785 Berlin

Admission: 9 € (guests), 6 € (members)

Advance ticket orders: kasse@arsenal-berlin.de

Parallel to the exhibition at Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.), Arsenal is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of Thomas Arslan’s films: early short films from his student days at the DFFB (German Film and Television Academy Berlin), the Berlin trilogy about the Kottbusser Tor neighborhood in Berlin-Kreuzberg, a documentary journey through Turkey, and genre films such as his gangster movies and a western. The retrospective also explores the film aesthetics that have influenced Arslan and is accompanied by introductions and discussions featuring the filmmaker himself, along with numerous guests including Diedrich Diederichsen, Till Kadritzke, Anke Leweke, Sabine Nessel, and Serpil Turhan.

The film series is curated by Birgit Kohler (Head of Programming Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art in Berlin).

Saturday, June 15, 2024, 8 pm

Am Rand (Thomas Arslan, D 1991, 24 min, no dialogue); Am Rand Revisited (Thomas Arslan, D 2024, 20 min, , no dialogue); Im Sommer (Die sichtbare Welt) (Thomas Arslan, D 1992, 41 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Carl Wiemer, Sophie Horvath, Karl Heil

Sunday, June 16, 2024, 8 pm

Preview: Verbrannte Erde (Thomas Arslan, D 2024, 100 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Mišel Matičević, Marie Leuenberger, Alexander Fehling

Tuesday, June 18 / Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 8 pm

Mach die Musik leiser (Thomas Arslan, D 1994, 87 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Andreas Böhmer, Marco Germund, Miguel Buschhauer

Thursday, June 20 / Tuesday, July 9, 2024, 8 pm

Geschwister – Kardeşler (Thomas Arslan, D 1996, 84 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Serpil Turhan, Tamer Yiğit, Savaş Yurderi

Saturday, June 22, 2024, 7 pm

The Cool World (Shirley Clarke, USA 1963, 105 min, original English version without subtitles)

With Hampton Clanton, Carl Lee, Yolanda Rodríguez

Wednesday, June 26 / Monday, July 15, 2024, 8 pm

Dealer (Thomas Arslan, D 1998, 74 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Tamer Yiğit, İdil Üner, Birol Ünel

Friday, June 28 / Sunday, June 7, 2024, 8 pm

Der schöne Tag (Thomas Arslan, D 2001, 74 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Serpil Turhan, Bilge Bingül, Florian Stetter

Thursday, July 4 / Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 8 pm

Aus der Ferne (Thomas Arslan, D 2005, 89 min, original version with English subtitles)

Documentary film

Saturday, July 6, 2024, 8 pm

Mes petits amoureuses (Meine kleinen Geliebten, Jean Eustache, F 1974, 123 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Martin Loeb, Ingrid Caven, Maurice Pialat

Friday, July 12, 2024, 8 pm

Touch of Evil (Im Zeichen des Bösen, Orson Welles, USA 1958, 96 min, original English version with German subtitles)

With Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich

Saturday, July 13 / Sunday, August 4, 2024, 8 pm

Im Schatten (Thomas Arslan, D 2010, 85 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Mišel Matičević, Karoline Eichhorn, Uwe Bohm

Sunday, July 14, 2024, 8 pm

Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, F 1959, 76 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Martin LaSalle, Marika Green, Dolly Scal

Thursday, July 18 / Tuesday, July 23, 2024, 8 pm

Ferien (Thomas Arslan, D 2007, 91 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Angela Winkler, Karoline Eichhorn, Uwe Bohm

Sunday, July 21, 2024, 8 pm

Wanda (Barbara Loden, USA 1970, 102 min, original English version without subtitles)

With Barbara Loden, Michael Higgins, Dorothy Shupenes

Thursday, July 25 / Wednesday, July 31, 2024, 8 pm

Helle Nächte (Thomas Arslan, D/NO 2017, 86 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Georg Friedrich, Tristan Göbel, Marie Leuenberger

Saturday, July 27 / Friday, August 2, 2024, 8 pm

Gold (Thomas Arslan, D/CA 2013, 101 min, original version with English subtitles)

With Nina Hoss, Marco Mandić, Peter Kurth

Accessibility

Arsenal cinema has two wheelchair-accessible spaces, and there is a wheelchair-accessible restroom available. Access to the lobby and theater on the second basement level is possible via an elevator.

Find more information at www.arsenal-berlin.de