Cool preview at Kino am Berg

Until 17 August, the stage is set at the Uto Kulm on the Üetliberg for the Kino am Berg. We visited the preview last Tuesday.

It's been ages since I was last on Zurich's local mountain, and that was probably to get back down as quickly as possible on the toboggan. I simply can't remember ever enjoying the view on the Üetliberg on a summer evening. So the great panorama was all the more impressive: on the one hand in broad daylight without fog, and on the other hand later when we said goodbye at night. Even if it was once again Dispute with the Pro Üetliberg Association For the Uto Kulm, the collaboration with We are Cinema is certainly worthwhile. This way, the people of Zurich can once again see how beautiful it looks from up there, and some of them plan their next trip.

VR experience on the tower would be possible

Those responsible also emphasised that the VR Cinema is an optimal event: no light from a screen, no sound except in the headphones, what more could you want? There is almost complete freedom and you can even carry your chair up the tower if you want to.

It's all happening at the Openair VR Cinema this time around

In contrast to last year's Openair VR Cinema am See, this year's edition has swivel chairs instead of benches, which does much more justice to the medium. As the chairs were very close together, I felt the legs or feet of my seat neighbours from time to time. However, this didn't bother me at all and at best invited some to make verbal contact with the people sitting next to them afterwards. In general, as I've noticed time and again, it's very easy to strike up a conversation at VR Cinema. And that's despite the fact that everyone has their own headset on and is almost completely cut off from the real world.

There are still a lot of people for whom VR and 360° films are totally new. The statements are and remain the same from "It's cool!" to "What's possible there" - with a subsequent list of ideas - to "But the resolution is just very bad. Overall, however, I again had the feeling that the We are Cinema went down very well with the audience, including the Cervelat celebrities.

For my companion, who was also coming into contact with 360° films for the first time, the introduction was a bit heavy: the 360° video from the cockpit of the F-5 fighter jet is very daring for people with a sensitive stomach. Overall, however, the selection of films - a colourful mix of different genres - was perfect for a first insight into the technology: After the documentary from the cockpit, there was a look behind the scenes at the undertaker, a bizarre trip to Dakar, a comic tribute to various films and various short clips.

ConclusionA visit to the cinema on the mountain is worth it! But be sure to bring something warm to wear, because on the Üetliberg there can be a biting wind in the evening, and even the generously distributed blankets won't provide enough warmth.