Movie nights

The Witzenhausen University Association is delighted to be cooperating with the Capitol Kino Witzenhausen. The aim of our partnership is to shed light on socially relevant topics from the fields of agriculture and ecology through film and at the same time enrich local cultural life. To this end, we will be showing films in two very different settings over the course of the year.

The Hochschulverband Witzenhausen e.V. (HVW) looks back with great satisfaction on its successful collaboration with the Capitol Kino Witzenhausen. The goal of this partnership is to shed light through film on socially relevant future-oriented topics in the fields of agriculture, the environment, and ecology, while also enriching cultural life in Witzenhausen in a lasting way. While the Capitol Kino provides the perfect setting during the cooler months, at the end of June the historic monastery courtyard on Steinstraße was transformed into an atmospheric open-air venue. On two balmy summer evenings, accompanied by cool drinks and freshly made popcorn, students, association members, and movie enthusiasts gathered to enjoy two special film nights.

Friday, June 26: Preview of “The Puzzle of Peace” and film discussion

The kickoff of the summer cinema on Friday evening was dedicated to global coexistence and peace research. Starting at 8:30 p.m., the monastery courtyard began to fill up, and at 9:00 p.m., a special program was on the agenda: Filmmaker and author Henryk Balkow was there in person to present an exclusive preview of his European documentary series “The Puzzle of Peace.”

Even before the official release on YouTube, attendees were shown the first three episodes in the original English with German subtitles. The series explores a central question: While humanity flies to the moon and splits atoms, it has failed for millennia to solve the riddle of lasting peaceful coexistence. The series is intended as an invitation to more than 8.3 billion people worldwide to become “puzzle pieces” as part of a movement for peace and understanding. During the film discussions between episodes with Henryk Balkow, an inspiring exchange took place about the background of the project, personal life journeys, and the importance of hope within civil society in turbulent times.

Saturday, June 27: Science Slam and the road movie “Practice, Practice, Practice”

On Saturday evening, the event combined science and feature film in an entertaining way. When doors opened at 8:30 p.m., numerous guests once again poured into the courtyard. At 9:00 p.m., a Science Slam set the tone for the evening: In a captivating short scientific presentation, current findings and questions surrounding sustainable mobility and local public transportation were vividly summarized.

The main film that followed, “Practice, Practice, Practice” —director Laurens Pérol’s feature film debut—tackled this topic head-on. A special highlight awaited the audience before the film began: Director Laurens Pérol sent a personal video message to Witzenhausen, which he had recorded specifically for this evening in the monastery courtyard. In it, he warmly welcomed the guests, set the stage for the story behind his passion project, and revealed with a smile that, true to form, he had hitchhiked to the premiere of his own film. The plot follows 18-year-old trumpeter Trine, who receives a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to audition at the Oslo Opera. A dream seems to be coming true—but Trine has vowed not to fly for environmental reasons. This honest and sensitive road movie accompanies Trine on her journey across the country and sheds light on the conflicting goals young people face when they consistently follow their ecological principles and forgo everyday comforts. A particular detail from the film’s making brought a smile to the audience’s faces: the director himself had hitchhiked to the premiere of his own film.

The summer cinema in the monastery courtyard impressively demonstrated how well entertainment, scholarly discourse, and community can be combined. A big thank you goes to the team at the Capitol Cinema in Witzenhausen, as well as to all the volunteers who made these two movie nights possible.