Events
Since 2023, Cie 209 has been organising cultural events. We regularly host films, readings, concerts and exhibitions at Upcycling in Neukölln (Hobrechtstr. 54 10247 Berlin). The smell of sawdust after sanding or the regular arrival of little treasures from a bygone era, which shape the daily life in the workshop on Hobrechtstr., seem to be ideal for inspiration and exchange. Our aim is to bring artists and their audiences together. We believe that the unusual setting of the events has a positive impact on coming together and can open new ways of interacting with each other and we feel grateful to be there.
Upcoming:
September 26, 2025
Film Screening No Land’s Song
Director: Ayat Najafi
In No Land's Song, Ayat Najafi accompanies his sister Sara Najafi, a musician in Tehran, in her attempt to organize a concert with female solo parts – even though women have been banned from performing solo in front of mixed audiences since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The documentary shows the bureaucratic and social obstacles that Sara and the other participating artists face. It follows a work in progress: the development of a collaboration between Sara Najafi and the three foreign singers Élise Caron, Jeanne Cherhal, and Emel Mathlouthi. But also between the singers and the filmmaker.
October 10, 2025
With Open Book - 3rd Edition
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Here’s an little overview of the events that took place till now:
WITH OPEN BOOK - 2nd Edition
Reading by: you
July 17, 2025
After the wonderful first evening of sharing last autumn, I decided to repeat the experience. The first edition has reinforced my belief that many people need a place where they can share their reading and thus their reflections.
Again, everyone brought various texts that moves them and that calls out to be shared. Whether essay, poem, diary entry or scientific article - everything is welcome. Maximum 10 minutes per person, in the language they want.
This time I saw this evening as a kind of intellectual laboratory - a place where different voices and perspectives come together. I sense that spaces are slowly closing, that everyone is more reluctant to open up to otherness. It is precisely for this reason that I offer this space, which everyone can appropriate and create for a moment. Living inclusion, with all the risks that it entails - but I swear to you, they are not even that high!
Between others we read excerpts from these texts:
Andreas Markus, Popcorn
Helena Sattler, A state of mind, theatre play, work in progress
Hildegard Knef
Tomas Gösta Tranströmer
Jeongrye Choi, Forest, found in the London U-bahn
Audre Lorde, Echoes, A Litany for Survival
AN EVENING WITH FRÉDÉRIC JAEGER
Short film Screening
Junee 13, 22025
Director: Frédéric Jaeger
Nicht nur Körper (Pull It Off) (16 min)
Ein Raum für Männer (Men’s Room) (5 min) co-directed with Manuel Inacker
Ununterbrochen reden (The Deluge) (12 min) co-directed with Nino Klingler
Endlich wieder möglich (The Debris) (15 min) co-directed with Nino Klingler
To mark the release of his first feature film, we took a look at Frédéric Jaeger's short films. Keyword: Queer. Frédéric's work is shaped by unanswered questions. His films are like research into the world of our desires and longings. A mixture of sensuality and sensitivity, with moments of discomfort. Frédéric: "I like situations that feel out of place."
He studied film studies and philosophy at the Freie Universität Berlin and art and media at the Universität der Künste Berlin. His short films have been shown at festivals including Go Short, Max Ophüls Preis, Underdox, Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin, in Dresden, Hof, Oslo, Paris, Frankfurt, Bucharest, Moscow, Weiterstadt, Landshut and São Paulo. His first feature film ALL WE EVER WANTED premiered at the Munich Film Festival in 2024. Before turning to filmmaking, he worked for many years as a film critic and festival programmer, including as Artistic Director of the Woche der Kritik Berlin.
Following the screening, a discussion took place with Frédéric, joined by Nino Klingler, exploring the interconnections between the short films and reflecting on the context of their development, among other things the effects of the COVID pandemic on how people can connect with each other.
More about Frédéric Jaeger's work here.
BABA KUSH
Film Screening
February 28, 2025
Director: Leon Kluth
Teenagers Max and Uli are surprised by the police while hot-boxing in a phone booth. They lock the door and are trapped - the officers outside, the two boys inside. A confrontation ensues in a confined space. Over the course of a long night, the two realize that they are no longer friends. That's how one could summarize the story of the film. Baba Kush inspires with its vitality and finesse. This intimate film is about friendship, growing up and family.
Leon Kluth is a young (and very lively) director, screenwriter and editor from Braunschweig. After studying at the Braunschweig University of Art (HBK), he founded a film production company and produced short films, music videos and image films. In addition to his work as a director and freelance filmmaker, he draws fantastic worlds with thousands of characters under the pseudonym Papa Damaskus.
After the film, we had an extensive conversation with Leon about the creative process and the challenges behind this first feature film, which he wrote, directed, produced and edited as an independent production. The film premiered at the Hofer Filmtage 2024. It was nominated for the Förderfilmpreis Neues Deutsches Kino and the New Faces Award in the category ‘Best Debut Film’, among others.
More about Leon Kluth here.
EINE ART WEIHNACHTSFEIER
Exhibition, Concert, Natural Wine Tasting
Co-curated with Samovino
December 7, 2024
Artists: Fabian Kalker & Gabriel Vormstein
Reflecting on a year that had been rich in encounters and discoveries, we acknowledged how difficult it can be to find light in challenging times, when fronts harden and hearts follow suit. In this context, we came together with Samovino to organize a celebration bringing together art, music, and natural wine. This made the gathering all the more meaningful, as it brought together those who had supported the various events we organized throughout the year.
The evening served as our way of creating space for conversation through artistic work, and the response was heartwarming. We designed it as a kind of Christmas party—an Advent celebration where people could connect, find inspiration, and celebrate creativity together. We welcomed two artists whose work touched attendees with its remarkable fragility and sensitivity: painter Gabriel Vormstein and musician Fabian Kalker.
Complemented by Samovino's natural wines and Elena Giampaoli's thoughtfully prepared food, the evening provided an ideal setting for beautiful exchanges. The combination of visual art, live music, good wine, and shared meals created a warm atmosphere where conversations flowed naturally and connections deepened.
To find out more about Fabian Kalker here, about Gabriel Vormstein here and about Samovino here.
WITH OPEN BOOK
Reading by: you
November 4, 2024
The idea for this evening came from the need to share something. I realised that those discoveries that inspire me - be it a book, a work of art, a particular movement of thinking, a landscape or whatever - almost always come with the desire to share them with others. Precisely because they inspire me! But to whom should I address them? I am convinced that if I feel this desire, others must feel it too. Therefore:
I proposed an evening of sharing where anyone can come and read from a book they want to share with others. Everyone can read what they want, in the language they want, for a maximum of 10 minutes per person.
There are no genre or other restrictions, no theme, just the desire to open a space for exchange that can be appropriated by anyone as they wish and be surprised by what moves others. Because I believe that the circulation of ideas - be it political essays or poetry - is an essential driving force to change the world (if this is even possible). We have to expand our field of vision, much like Xavier Dolan expands the field of vision of his camera in his film Mommy, in which the character Steve is pushed to the edge of the screen and transforms the vertical format of the film into a landscape format.
Ouvrir le champ des possible.
Opening up the field of possibilities.
Among others excerpts from the following texts were read aloud:
Adam Nicolson, The Seabird's Cry: The Lives and Loves of the Planet's Great Ocean Voyagers (2018)
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Manifest des Futurismus (1909)
Jean Cocteau, La machine infernale (The infernal machine) (1934)
GO OUT AND PLAY
Film Screening and Concert
October 4, 2024
Concert: Antje Vowinckel & Els Vandeweyer
Film: Philip Morris & Jérémie Pujau
In 2013, Salon Bruit e.V. and Audition Records organized a series of concerts by artists from the experimental scene in the cinema of a former residential building in Berlin. Each concert was filmed and published online, accompanied by an interview with the artist, to provide a partial but necessary insight into a highly dynamic scene that is unfortunately only sparsely documented and was even more so back then.
From this heterogeneous material, the film weaves together the narratives of this group of women and traces their musical journey through their individual experiences and challenges that led them to Berlin to join a scene that offers them little chance of financial reward or mainstream success.
In line with the way the protagonists conceive their music, this experimental documentary also provides insight into their unique approach to creating and performing in a genre that defies prevailing musical rules and structures through radical aesthetic choices.
Before the film screening, two of the film's protagonists, Antje Vowinckel and Els Vandeweyer gave a guitar-saxophone duo concert. Afterwards, there was a discussion with one of the film's directors, Jérémie Pujau.
Find out more about Jérémie Pujau's work here.
And about the musicians Else Vandeweyer and Antje Vowinckel.
THAT USED THIS THERE / POETS CORNER
Poetry Workshop
July 6, 2024
Artist: Katarina Gotic
Poet’s Corner and Cie 209 invited Katarina Gotic to lead a workshop at Upcycling. Together, we upcycled old texts and created a textual sculpture. We copied, cut, wrote, rewrote, painted, glued, drilled, and somehow made it all work—using materials found that day. We explored, experimented, and discussed what upcycling means for both the world and for poetry. The result was presented to the public at Silent Green Kulturquartier as part of the Poesie Festival (Haus für Poesie).
Katarina Gotić is a poet and conceptual artist from Bosnia, who also creates collages and works with found materials. This year, she published her first poetry book, we need a breathing tongue between (Kith Books, 2024).
Find out more about Katarina Gotic's work here.
And about the Poesie Festival here.
SOUK MACHINE / 48 STUNDEN NEUKÖLLN
Sound Installation
June 27-30, 2024
Artists: Leila Boutaam, Adrien Rouchaleou & Memona Boutaam
As part of the 48 Stunden Neukölln Festival, Clean Plate Society showcased a sound installation, Souk Machine. This project, led by Leila Boutaam, Adrien Rouchaleou and Memona Boutaam, focused on capturing the voices and songs of market vendors, exploring the significance of dialects and migrant voices in shaping urban cultures. Visitors engaged with the installation, which highlighted the diverse soundscapes of our communities, particularly in the face of gentrification. This event celebrated cultural diversity through food and sound, fostering intercommunal relationships. Attendees also savored natural wines from Samovino, which could be enjoyed in front of the workshop on the street that had been closed for the occasion, contributing to a vibrant and engaging atmosphere for social interaction.
Find out more about 48 Stunden Neukölln here.
JUSTIZ UND KLIMAWANDEL
Panel Discussion
June 18, 2024
Guests: Tina Löffelsend (BUND), Emmanuel Schlichter (Green Legal Impact) & Zoe Ruge (RAZ e.V. / Letzte Generation)
Moderation: Caroline Elias
Grafic recording: Anaïs Edely
For the first time, we opened the space for a political discussion and invited various actors to talk about the role of court decisions in the fight against climate change. The discussion addressed both the various lawsuits against states for climate inaction and the lawsuits against climate activists in the context of civil disobedience actions. As a starting point was the question whether these rulings could play a role in German (or even European) politics and what long-term impact these rulings might have in terms of addressing climate change. This panel discussion was organized following the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights issued that spring, which marked a significant precedent by condemning the Swiss state for its failure to take action on climate change, making it the first such ruling at the European level.
The discussion can be viewed here.
Find out more about Anaïs Edely's work here.
To continue the discussion:
BUND-Klimaklage
Green Legal Impact
Rechte der Natur
Raz e.V
THE WORLD IN SMALL PIECES
Film Screening
May 25, 2024
Director: Reveka R
Dr. Hans Joachim Paul, a 73-year-old retired physicist, expresses his feelings about retirement through modeling the world in small figures and enjoying nature in his greenhouse. He occasionally returns to his institute, where his past still resonates.
Reveka R, a young documentary filmmaker from Ukraine, arrived in Berlin at the beginning of the war. Through her filmmaking, she processes her experiences, using her camera to delve into the complexities of Berlin and European societies. Reveka views her creative work as essential for her mental well-being, often exploring themes through the lens of specific characters.
The film is a bizarre portrait of Dr. Paul, whom she met in the basement of the institute. Their friendship blossomed as she sought to understand physics while he shared his unconventional hobbies and beliefs.
More about Reveka R and the film here.
OUTRUN*
Reading
March 23, 2024
Author: Christoph Mille
Outrun* by Christoph Mille is a collection of micro-stories that collectively create a rich and expansive mosaic of the life and death of a traveler in search of the one, the true, bonus level - where the gold coins jingle, Peach wears her beach outfit, and people sing your name. It starts in West Berlin in the 1980s.
Christoph Mille studied design, speaks Japanese, develops drone software and agricultural AI, and has written a feature film. Christoph read about 10 micro-stories. Outrun* is still a work in progress.
INTERIOR SPACE
Exhibition, Wine Tasting, Concert, Reading, Artist Talk
Co-curated with Samovino
November 24-26, 2023
Painter: Laura Sagmeister
Laura Sagmeister is an established artist from Vojvodina, Serbia, known for her powerful paintings and drawings that explore her innermost self. Her interest in the abstract forms of fruits, bodies, and trees has guided her in her quest for contact with her unconscious. Her "Interior Space" is created from signs that become visible when we step away from today's saturated world, revealing a unique space for individual reflection.
Accompanying the exhibition was her husband, Erne Sagmeister, one of the most interesting winemakers in Serbia, an artist talk, a reading and a beautiful jazz concert by the N. Cavoli Trio.
More about Laura Sagmeister here
About Erne Sagmeister here.
About Nick Cavoli's music here and here.
And to discover the wines of Samovino here.
