Not only are all cinemas in Leipzig back open, with Schauburg joining the fray just recently, we also have the most crowded Kinowoche since the beginning of the pandemic! A dazzling 73 screenings across 12 different locations are sure to have something on the menu for all tastes in movies. Among them is the first cinema-only release by movie monolith Marvel as well as the Queerfilmfestival.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marvel is daring to return to the cinema with this first Asian-led superhero film. While Black Widow hedged its bets by releasing simultaneously in theatres and on Disney+, Shang-Chi will be a movie theatre exclusive for now.
This is also a general litmus test for the Disney corporation to see if the theatre-only model still works.
With Marvel being the highest-grossing franchise in our current entertainment landscape, their decisions will be copied by the rest of the industry. So depending on whether you hope for the cinema experience to prevail or wish for a complete shift to home theatres altogether, this release will be a major milestone for the development ahead.
Here is what the star of the movie, Simu Liu, had to say about the situation:
We are not an experiment.
We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year.
We are the surprise.
I’m fired the f**k up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US. pic.twitter.com/IcyFzh0KIb
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) August 14, 2021
Queerfilmfestival
Meanwhile, the other film festival in town has a similarly eclectic selection of movies. The Queerfilmfestival is a nationwide festival that screens non-heterosexual films across eleven cities in Germany. Leipzig’s own Passage Kinos and Kinobar Prager Frühling are each participating with a whopping twelve OmU-screenings just this Kinowoche.
Among the highlights of the fest are two films about two very unique artists.
Tove dramatizes the life of Moomins creator Tove Jansson. The movie was the second-biggest Finnish film production of all time and was well received by critics both at home and abroad. For most Europeans, the Moomins were a big presence in their childhood, with several cartoon adaptations running up and down kids’ TV channels during the 90s and 00s. This biopic promises to shed some light on the intriguing figure behind the cutest trolls in childrens’ literature.
The other inimitable artist with a cinematic portrayal in the fest is Tiny Tim. His falsetto voice and unique appearance made him a regular guest on American television during the 60s.
Many referred to his performances as a novelty act at the time but his musical prowess and unique persona are indisputable.
Now, we finally get a closer look at the late enigmatic performer with Tiny Tim: King for a Day. The documentary had exclusive access to Tiny Tim’s diaries as well as interviews with his family and friends, hoping to shed some light on the rapid rise and fall of a truly unique artist.
