Lichtmess-Kino
The retro-hip Lichtmeß screens film and video art on a less-than-daily basis in an Ottensen neighborhood, 10 minutes on foot through the winding streets leading from Bahnhof Altona.
Founded on February 2, 1991, on the festival of Candlemas (Mariä Lichtmeß in German), this salt-box cinema is located in the soap boiling room of an old cosmetic factory. (Little joke there, since “Lichtmess” literally means “measurement of light.”) Since its inception, its proprietors have screened documentaries and experimental films, plus films in their original languages (OV). Series, school screenings and Hamburg premieres round out the program. The Lichtmeß is also one of the featured sites of the summer Hamburg Short Film Festival (where they screen no-budget films and 3-minute quickies). Adding to the throwback feel, the screen measures only 4 x 2.4 meters, and the seating consists of up to 88 folding chairs.
You can also rent the Lichtmeß for (quiet) private parties.