At the legendary Babylon cinema in Berlin
“Nosferatu”: A Journey Through Time

On February 20, we had the chance to attend a screening of *Nosferatu* (1922), a feature film directed by F.W. Murnau, accompanied by an orchestra of about twenty musicians at the Babylon cinema in Berlin.

By Rafael Barrette-Iraola and Maeva Chiarore

The Babylon is currently the only cinema with a resident orchestra that is still open to the public. It truly feels like stepping back in time and offers an immersive experience into the world of early cinema. The orchestra allows us to appreciate the film in a whole new way and to become completely immersed in its world. The Babylon features an exceptional auditorium with a magnificent balcony that keeps us immersed in the atmosphere of a bygone era. Moreover, as you walk through the doors of this magnificent period theater, you’re greeted by a gigantic statue of the famous robot from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, another tribute to German Expressionism. A clip from that film is also projected continuously on the walls of the cinema’s entrance, where movie lovers can enjoy a drink and some popcorn. Furthermore, the Babylon offers a performance with an orchestra every day during Berlinale week, which the conductor has dubbed the “Babylonales”—a great way to return to the roots of cinema during a festival that highlights the new.

Flexible and diverse programming

Recognized as one of Berlin’s most iconic cinemas, the Kino Babylon, located in the famous Mitte district, stands out not only for its architecture and history but also for its ongoing role in Berlin’s cinematic life since the late 1920s. The building was constructed in 1928–29 by architect Hans Poelzig in the New Objectivity style, a functional and austere architectural movement that characterized the Weimar Republic era. It officially opened its doors on April 11, 1929, as a silent movie theater, featuring an orchestra pit and an organ to accompany the screenings. Unfortunately, during World War II, the theater was partially damaged, leading to renovations in 1948 to restore it. After the war, located in the Soviet zone and later in the GDR, the Kino Babylon became a specialized cinema focusing on screening art-house films. While it had only one auditorium when it first opened, the Babylon now features three auditoriums seating 500, 68, and 43 people respectively, allowing for flexible and diverse programming. Between 2008 and 2010, it notably hosted screenings for the Berlinale, a festival that uses numerous venues throughout the city to show its films.

Distorted silhouettes, and painterly visual compositions

In Nosferatu, Thomas Hutter leaves his wife Ellen to finalize a real estate deal with the mysterious Count Orlok, who turns out to be a vampire spreading death and plague throughout the town of Wisborg. The film is striking for its expressionist aesthetic: striking plays of light and shadow, distorted silhouettes, and almost painterly visual compositions, including the famous shadow of Nosferatu climbing the stairs. And although it dates back to 1922, it still impresses today with its disconcerting modernity, as evidenced by the use of slow motion and fast motion, stop-motion, and what can be said about that terrifying sequence where Murnau chose to use the film’s negative. Although shot on location, the use of lighting transforms the space into a psychological landscape, creating a strong sense of oppression and anxiety. The rhythm of silent cinema, with its intertitles, stylized gestures, and gradually building tension—along with the live orchestral music—gives the film a unique and powerful quality. Moreover, the composition performed by the orchestra is the very one that accompanied Nosferatu during its debut in 1922. Watching this work at the legendary Kino Babylon, a venue contemporary to the film, lends it an immersive dimension rarely achieved for films of that era: it gives us the impression of traveling back in time, a sort of time capsule that transports us directly to the early 20th century and to Expressionist cinema at its peak.