An evening at the VR Openair Cinema in Bern

We visited the VR Openair Cinema in Bern. On the not-so-attractive forecourt of the University of Applied Sciences, right next to the all the more attractive Marzilli, we enjoyed the horror programme.

360°, so in the middle of a horror story? Can we stand it? We wanted to know and therefore visited the VR Openair Cinema in Bern. The screening took place at 9pm and didn't exactly attract many visitors on this Friday evening. We were there about 5 minutes earlier and the swivel chairs were still standing lonely and deserted on the square of the University of Applied Sciences. A few visitors sat on the benches next to them and didn't dare to sit on the swivel chairs yet. In contrast to the great location in Zurich, there was unfortunately no catering in Bern and the view and surroundings were not exactly exhilarating. But the latter is not quite so important in a VR cinema. And you could cool off beforehand in the Aare at the nearby beautiful Marzilli.

In the middle is the real horror

The performance started right on time with a very short explanation. Well, go on then, please shoot! It quickly became clear that the horror genre is in the hands of Japan. From the first film to the last, all the horror films were by Japanese or at least Asian makers. The first film, The Realm Below, was soon horror for me. As a viewer, you were put in the role of a scientist tasked with investigating a strange pit in the ground. As your colleagues slowly lower the camera and with it the visitor with the VR goggles on your head, you first hear strange noises and see some disgusting slimy things. When you reach the bottom, you see a prisoner who is surrounded and attacked by monsters. That was all well and good, but when the monsters started to attack me and came closer and closer, I had to close my eyes at one point. The closeness was really too much for me. It was an impressive experience, what feelings such a 360° film can trigger.

The rest of the films like Tag along or Ghost Reality, on the other hand, didn't do much for me. They were almost boring, to be honest. A few undead dead and a lot of blood. I didn't even finish the last one because my friend had technical problems with his VR glasses for the second time and they gave up together with the battery. (The first time the next film didn't load and the second time the battery was flat). A bit unpleasant when someone experiences a VR Cinema for the first time. Perhaps that also explains the low attendance?

Why a PR 360° film from the Red Cross about a Syrian refugee camp was shown at the end, I didn't quite understand. Of course, this is also a kind of horror for those affected, but it didn't have too much to do with the theme evening. At least the documentary was interesting.

I have to admit, I expected more. I've had better experiences with We are Cinema. My friend, who was affected by the technical problems, thought it was a great experience. Just like the motto: Once, but then maybe not again so soon.

So if you've never been to the VR Openair Cinema, you should try St. Gallen or Zurich. More Info.