Film Screening

October 7, Saturday / @CRCLR (Circular Economy House), VOLLGUT Berlin / free entrance

7.30 pm
FILM SCREENING
Teepeeland, the (U)topian Teepees
A documentary film by Catherine Ricoul

France/Germany
Length: 28 minutes
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish
Subtitles: English/German

Teepeeland, the (U)topian Teepees is a documentary film about Teepeeland, a small settlement on the riverside of the Spree in Berlin-Mitte. The area used to be part of the zone separating East and West Berlin and is now a registered cultural heritage site.

The first Teepeeland resident arrived more than five years ago with his Amerindian teepee from the «Cuvrybrache», another camp which was located 2 kilometers to the east on the Spree riverbank. Now the site is inhabited by between 15 and 50 residents from around the world, the number depending on the season. Each new resident is expected to build their own dwelling and this leads to continuous innovation and improvement of the construction techniques. Mongolian yurts, a Shinto Shrine, cabins and teepees now express a fusion of different styles, and are all constructed with recycled materials through self-developed technical skills. The place is still «under construction» with a DIY spirit, and residents have to adapt to the community conditions and regulations. Not accepting the rules (such as non-violence) can lead to expulsion from the village. The community gathers each week to discuss and make decisions, and wrote its own constitution three years ago to better organize their ways of living together.