issue 187
Ossi life beyond the Stasi
PHOTO GALLERY! Is a dispassionate look at the GDR finally possible? A film project and an exhibition take a more empathetic look into the everyday lives of East Germans. Read more
A Ramberg retrospective: KW's The Making of Husbands exhibition
REVIEW! KW’s small but brilliant show "The Making of Husbands" on now through Jan 5 illustrates the lasting relevance of Chicago Imagist Christina Ramberg, whose career-long focus has been on the female body. Read more
An unlikely Union: The rise of Berlin's rebellious underdog football team
FC Union's qualification to the Bundesliga last season made history. With their next match tomorrow, we explore the legendary GDR football club's history and find out why it's attracting a new generation of Berlin creatives and intellectuals. Read more
Must-see: Kabakovs exhibition double bill
REVIEW! Don't miss Ilya and Emilia Kabakov exhibitions at the Tchoban Foundation and Mies van der Rohe Haus this month! Known for their high concept, large-scale installations, these exhibits show the process behind some of their most famous works. Read more
Mash Pit: Brew it yourself beer classes for the brainy!
Calling all beer nerds, this workshop is for you! Kreuzberg brewery Mash Pit's BIY crash course is not for the casual drinker, but for those interested in brewing science the session will leave you well versed in the essentials of microbrewing. Read more
Nightlife in focus: C/O Berlin's No Photos on the Dance Floor!
REVIEW! It's your last chance to see C/O Berlin's "No Photos on the Dance Floor! Berlin 1989 – Today". Through Nov 30 the exhibition shows works by 25 photographers capturing the many facets of Berlin nightlife. Read more
DJ Byron Yeates talks keeping mystique ahead of Radiant Love
INTERVIEW! With the next Radiant Love on Nov 30 at ORWOhaus, we chat with one of the brains behind it, DJ Byron Yeates, to find out how the party became a beacon of the Berlin clubbing scene. Read more
Hustlers ⋆⋆⋆⋆
OUT NOW! An empowering, unapologetic and, above all, very entertaining female-centric crime flick about former strip club employees who turn the tables on their Wall Street clients. Read more
Siegfried, the war, the Wall and the Stasi
INTERVIEW! This month has seen countless events exploring Berlin's divided past. But the GDR lives on - in our Ossi neighbours! Meet Siegfried Strehlow. He tells his plucky escape, daring rescue tunnel, Stasi-monitored romance, and more. Read more
Director Anne-Cécile Vandalem on her Schaubühne premiere
INTERVIEW! We caught up with Belgian director Anne-Cécile Vandalem ahead of her world-premiere of "Die Anderen" at the Schaubühne on Nov 28-29, a suspenseful thriller about a refugee stranded in a suspicious village. Read more
Futura Pizza brings a slice of Naples to Berlin
Master pizzaiolo Alessandro Leonardi's new restaurant Futura Pizza serves up 12 variations of delicious pizza pies all crafted with flawless rustic dough and adorned with premium-quality toppings entirely sourced from small Italian producers. Read more
Gents on taking chances ahead of Internet Explorer gig
Ahead of their show at Internet Explorer Prenzlauer Berg on Nov 26, Niels Fejrskov Juhl of Gents tells us how Berlin has left its mark on the Copenhagen-based duo and their spa pop sound. Read more
Top three exhibits capturing the rebellious spirit of 1989
With 1988 art hall Galerie Loock opening an exhibition on East German photographer Christian Borchert on Nov 23, our critic explores this month's top exhibitions at galleries that grew out of the post-Wende buzz. Read more
Need a British tea fix? Head to new Broken English
Berliners' lifeline to British imports, Broken English, has re-opened! Now in Kreuzberg and under the ownership of a German, the delightful Olde Shoppe store is stocked for a hard Brexit with a wide selection of cherished British brands. Read more
Short-circuit: Volksbühne's Don’t be evil.
REVIEW! Kay Voges' latest internet-inspired multimedia production at the Volksbühne playing Nov 22 and Dec 1 with English surtitles, unfortunately, does not compute. Read more
Booksmart's star Kaitlyn Dever on breaking stereotypes
INTERVIEW! With the much anticipated coming-of-age teen comedy "Booksmart" hitting Berlin cinemas on Nov 14, its lead actress opens up about making a film for the current generation, playing a queer character and living with her onscreen BFF. Read more
K-jazz close up: JazzKorea
JazzKorea takes over stages across Berlin kicking off Nov 14 through Nov 17 with an eclectic mix of nascent South Korean musicians. The line-up showcases a breadth of styles and aims to open listeners to different forms. Here's our top picks. Read more
Untypical Pollesch: Palast's "Glauben an die Möglichkeit"
REVIEW! René Pollesch's piece for Friedrichstadt-Palast plays with the venue's arsenal of technical tricks, but with both irony and restraint, and the show breaks new ground for the director. However, he's done more with less. Catch it Nov 10 and 27. Read more
Gay in the GDR? The Gay Berliner investigates ahead of "Coming Out" screening
With Kino International screening 1989 queer film "Coming Out" on Nov 9, the GDR's first (and only) feature dealing with homosexuality, our columnist chats to Ossis to find out more about the East Berlin gay scene. Read more
Former GDR painter Bisky on his new exhibition double-bill
INTERVIEW! Ahead of his two new Koenig Galerie shows opening Nov 9 and 10, we met the painter and epitome of a Berlin artist at his studio to chat politics, partying and painting away his GDR childhood nightmares. Read more