2023-10-24 22:00:00
Ten years of Cinema Paradiso, “a long time and yet it feels like yesterday,” says Cinema managing director Clemens Kopetzky in the Cinema Bar. 750,000 tickets were sold, 3,000 different films flickered across the screen, there were also 700 events and the open air cinema at Theaterplatz ran for the eleventh time this year. The Cinema Paradiso builds on 35 years of experience with the Cinema Paradiso St. Pölten and has saved the Beethovenkino from dying.
“Contemporary witness” Krismer was convinced from the start
But at the beginning the cinema cineastes actually didn’t want to dare to think about another cinema project in Baden, a cinema jewel in Austria from 1927, but they were quickly convinced. “As a contemporary witness, I can say that I believed in it from the beginning and knew that it would work, I knew the Cinema Paradiso in St. Pölten and knew that they worked in a highly professional manner with a lot of heart,” praises Vice Mayor Helga Krismer and Mayor Stefan Szirucsek confirms: “It was an immediate success; the needs of urban Badner were fully met.”
Paradiso has found its niche and home
The Paradiso has found its home and niche and forms a good counterpoint to the Baden stage. “Cinema Paradiso also satisfies the social longing to not always just go to a large, anonymous cinema world, a Cineplexx, but rather, people appreciate the small living room atmosphere again, they want to experience something again that they understand and that is not a huge construct.” says Paradiso boss Alexander Syllaba. The cinema has a cultural mission and is also a platform where social and controversial topics are dealt with. “Cinema Paradiso is a place where you feel at home and where all generations feel comfortable. Here, 18-year-olds sit together with 80-year-olds,” says Syllaba.
“The cinema simply offers a different experience,” Krismer also knows, and the cinema is a cultural place where different genres come together on one platform and culture can more than live up to its function as the food and glue of society.
Annual press conference in the yellow cinema bar.
Photo: Sandra Sagmeister, Sandra Sagmeister
The Cinema Paradiso offers a mix of high-quality films, live events, collaborations with local and regional partners and gastronomy. People are already coming to Baden from all corners of Austria, just like the artists who appear in the cinema. “There are artists who skip other cities in Austria and prefer to come to us,” says Kopetzky.
So there is not only an excellent film program, often with star-studded Austrian premieres, but also live events with internationally known artists, such as Chris Jagger, the younger brother of Mick Jagger, the musician Al Di Meola and Clint Eastwood’s musician son, Kyle Eastwood and many more… “The Cinema Paradiso is a prime example of how collaboration between private cultural companies and public funding agencies can be successful” and schools are already using the cinema as a place for education.
Vision: Third cinema hall soon to become a reality
And what are the highlights and visions for the next few years: “First of all, the 100th anniversary of the former Beethoven cinema in 2027 and the vision for a third cinema hall, the potential is there,” reveals Kopetzky. And anyone who believes that dreams always come true in the cinema knows that this will work too…
The cinema in time lapse
1927: Opening of the Beethoven Cinema in Baden as a meeting place for cineastes and film lovers. It is currently the oldest cinema in Austria built as a cinema and continuously used as a cinema.6. January 2013: after more than 80 years, the Beethoven Cinema in Baden closes; the economic pressure became too great due to the opening of large cinema centers and the need for digitalization. October 31, 2013: the former Beethoven cinema is reopened as Cinema Paradiso Baden. A cultural center is to be built in the heart of the city of Baden. There are also two cinema halls equipped with modern cinema technology.
Ludwig van still watches over the facade of the former Beethoven cinema and looks down on every visitor.
Photo: Sandra Sagmeister, Sandra Sagmeister
The next live events
8.11.23, 20 Uhr – BELLA CIAO: RICCARDO TESI & BAND: Riccardo Tesi brings together a nine-piece band of Italy’s best folk musicians and fills the cinema with wonderful southern Italian music and eternally popular folk songs.
11/14/23, 7:30 p.m. – DIARY SLAM – BEST OF: The Diary Slam is also celebrating Cinema Paradiso Baden’s 10th birthday. On stage is a best of the participants from 10 years. A crazy show where no eye stays dry. Brave readers come forward and read from their diaries from back then.
11/15/23, 8 p.m. – JOCHEN DISTELMEYER: As the frontman of Blumfeld, he plays in the largest concert halls. Jochen Distelmeyer is drawn to the clubs solo with the guitar, where he seeks closeness to the audience and creates intimate goosebumps with his songs. He also has his new album “Feeling Truths”.
11/30/23, 8 p.m. – GARISH: Garish are celebrating silver with their new album “Hands up, I can stand you”. With 25 years of band history, they are going on tour again. For their stage anniversary, the band fulfilled a bunch of wishes – a kind of resocialization project, as they themselves call it. For the 25th, Garish invited a wide variety of artists (Ina Regen, Verena Altenberger) to make music with them or to reinterpret a Garish piece.
12.12.23, 7.30 p.m. – IRISH CHRISTMAS 2023: Christmas time is Irish Christmas time at Cinema Paradiso! This year too, for the 10th anniversary, visitors can expect an evening with two concerts by great Irish bands.
12/13/23, 8 p.m. – STRAUSS, DOLEZAL, MOSHAMMER: CHRISTMAS AND SUCH…: The two popular acting stars Ursula Strauss and Christian Dolezal are returning to Cinema Paradiso! This time they are brilliantly complemented by St. Pölten musician and writer Bernhard Moshammer, who provides the evening’s musical accompaniment with banjo, guitar and vocals.
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