Cinema Bâle

The cinema Basel scene has a grand dame in the form of 104-year-old theater Kino Borri, founded in nineteen oh six by a Jesuit priest named Alexis Joye. Abbé Joye began running an orphanage and home for trainees 20 years earlier first called “Vinzentianum” and subsequently “Borromäum”, that turned a famed meeting place for young Christians. As a man with both a social and cultural inclination, Joye shortly realized the new trend of motion pictures would be an excellent addition to his meetings, thus founding the 1st Kino Basel.

This theater is part of a group of 12 small independent movie theaters in Basel. Where other cities focus on to big multiscreen centers, the city of Basel is holding on the tradition of what is locally called “studio kino”: art house cinema. Today, this theater has one of the largest collections of films from the first years of the last century, also thanks to this pioneering monk.

In summer, the open air cinemas are everywhere: in squares as well as on castles. The main opean air cinema for sure is Orange Open Air. During 14 days, famous films are shown on the Münsterplatz square, in addition to
previews, premieres and special nights. For those who prefer smaller movies, the Neues Kino shows classics on the terrasse of an old corn tower in the Rhine port. Besides the Kino Borri, there are roughly 40 movie screens in Basel, screening all big Hollywood productions along with a few European and foreign films. All films are screened in English with German and French subtitles.