Preserving film culture in Zürich through The Cinematic Campus

In 2023, Zürich’s film museum Filmpodium partnered with the University of Zürich’s Department of Film Studies to launch The Cinematic Campus. The initiative responds to the growing dominance of streaming platforms, which, while convenient, diminish the social and aesthetic value of experiencing film in its intended environment: the cinema. Simultaneously, film studies students often engage with their studies primarily through digital means rather than experiencing films in their originally intended theatrical context. This disconnect creates both a cultural gap and an educational limitation that “Filmpodium” and the Department of Film Studies sought to address. 

The Cinematic Campus aims to counter this trend by offering students — and the wider public — a direct encounter with film culture in a theatrical setting. By bringing university lectures into the cinema, the project creates a bridge between academic study and the embodied, collective act of watching films together. It seeks not only to preserve cinema attendance but also to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of Zürich. 

Free lectures and film screenings to engage people in the cinema experience 

At the heart of The Cinematic Campus is a year-long lecture series held at the Filmpodium itself. Professors deliver lectures on film history and theory in chronological sequence, followed by screenings of films linked to the day’s theme. This structure allows students to connect scholarly analysis directly with cinematic experience. 

The cinema setting enriches the format in ways that classrooms cannot replicate. Screenings include elements such as high-quality sound reproduction, 35mm projection, or live musical accompaniment for silent films, offering students insights into the richness of cinematic heritage. Crucially, students are not passive recipients: they engage with film as living culture rather than as an abstract academic subject. 

Attendance is compulsory for students enrolled in film studies, but the events are also opened free of charge to members of the public. This commitment to accessibility reflects Zürich’s wider cultural policy, ensuring that film history and critical thinking are not restricted to academia. The project also fosters a unique atmosphere where students and non-students share space, exchange views, and form a community centred around film. 

Reviving cinema as a shared cultural medium 

The Filmpodium monitors success through ticket statistics, student attendance, and direct feedback. Early results demonstrate clear benefits. Students report that seeing films in the cinema deepens their learning and encourages them to attend screenings beyond the curriculum. Members of the public value the chance to access university-level lectures and to participate in conversations about cinema’s relevance to society. 

The project also reaffirms the civic role of film. As cinema has historically provided a lens for exploring social and political issues, The Cinematic Campus extends this tradition, prompting dialogue on contemporary topics through cinematic analysis. 

The initiative has been warmly received by the university, the cultural sector, and the wider community. Through this collaboration, “Filmpodium” and the Department of Film Studies at the University of Zürich aim to revitalise cinema attendance, enrich community experiences, and foster critical thinking skills – all through the medium of film.