Atlantis & Odeon Mannheim have been well known arthouse theatres in Mannheim / Germany for decades now. Both located in the city centre, the two cinemas offer three screens altogether.
While Odeon with today 128 seats is the oldest cinema in Mannheim, founded in 1928 and running since then with only a short closure time during the world war, Atlantis used to be a concert hall of the local singing club “Mannheimer Liedertafel”. The club still owns the Atlantis building, which was transformed into a cinema in the 1950’s and hosts a beautiful large hall with today almost 300 seats and a smaller club cinema with 62 seats.
Due to its former use, Atlantis offers great acoustic conditions and is still used for concerts or literature events besides the cinema programming. Before 1982, Atlantis was called “Kurbel” and showed B-movies in a non-stop-programme. In 1982, it was renovated, turned into an arthouse theatre and since then gained a reputation for its special programming of European arthouse films, German productions and international independents as well as for its nice atmosphere and ambience.
Odeon, which was used as a cinema for migrant workers in the 50s and 60s, started as an arthouse place even before that in 1978.
Since 1982, both cinemas are run by Atlantis GmbH. Both places have won several awards for their outstanding programming both on local and federal levels. Two times, they were awarded as “best arthouse cinemas” in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Besides the regular screenings, both theatres offer special events as concerts, previews and premieres, readings, small festivals or culinary events. Atlantis is one of the locations where the well known annual International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg takes place every autumn.
Erdmann Lange
Find out who is Kino Atlantis’ 2023 Ambassador here.
Ella Knorz in 2020
