Nora Gerken

That’s right. I moved to Mannheim in mid-July, and before that I lived in the Hildesheim / Hanover region for about 15 years.

Nora Gerken

It was a very conscious decision to move to Mannheim, partly because of the job. At the same time, it wasn’t easy to leave behind my family, friends and a strong personal network, so there was naturally some wistfulness. But after my first visit for the job interview, I already felt that Mannheim is a city that is underrated. Beforehand I had heard a lot of rather negative opinions, but when I was here myself, I thought: Hey, things are happening here! I had the feeling that there’s a lot to discover here, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Nora Gerken

Yes, exactly. In my experience, both of those cities are underrated too. Many people say Hildesheim is sleepy, and Hanover is simply called boring. That doesn’t do justice to either city. I find it interesting that these labels are mostly picked up and passed on by people who may never have been there, or who maybe only changed trains at the main station, but have no real experience of these cities. My experience was completely different.

Nora Gerken

Yes! I think it simply takes time to arrive and settle in when you come to a new city, especially if you don’t really know anyone and have no points of connection. Then it’s a matter of going out again and again, approaching the city and everything new, and giving it a chance.

Nora Gerken

Definitely, Neckarstadt-West is very lively, and a lot happens in public space. I live at Neumarkt and have already been to the open-air cinema there, for example. There’s an incredible amount going on at and around the square. On the other side is the Neckar riverbank, where people meet, watch the sunset together, have a drink or just sit by the water. It’s really lovely.
I also feel that everything I need in daily life is right here. And it’s nice because little by little you get to know quite a few faces and people. It became familiar to me very quickly here.

Nora Gerken

I mostly get around by bike and ride ten minutes from one district to the other, from east to west and back. It’s a huge luxury to have such a short commute.
In Mannheim I start at Neumarkt and then ride across the Alter Messplatz, where there’s always a lot going on in the morning. Parents bring their children to daycare or school, people commute to work, they stand at the Alte Feuerwache, and children walk to school or are taken there. On my way I always pass Café Adria. I feel it’s a central place that somehow connects these districts. It’s full morning, noon and night with all kinds of people. I like riding past there, and by now I can even wave to a few people here and there. These are lively places that I notice on my daily route, and I really appreciate that. Mannheim feels very urban, different from Hanover, but also lovely in that way.

Nora Gerken

I have to say, I really have a soft spot for everyday routes. Through them I connect with the city to a certain extent. With Neckarstadt-Ost and -West, that already works quite well for me. These are routes I really like.

Nora Gerken

Hildesheim and Hanover are both very green cities. Within a quarter of an hour by bike, you can be out in nature. I experience that differently here in Mannheim. I’d describe the Neckar riverbank as a more or less green place. But the surroundings of Mannheim are much more urban and city-like. On the riverbank you also see industry. It’s a completely different metropolitan area. But you can still get out into nature from Mannheim, you just have to go a bit further. It takes me half an hour by bike to get to the Käfertaler Wald.

What connects the cities are these public squares where a lot happens, where people meet and initiatives organize events. In Mannheim, for me so far, those are places like Neumarkt, the Neckar riverbank, the Adria and the Jungbusch.

Nora Gerken

You’re definitely not lost if you’ve already navigated a city before or lived in a bigger city.

Nora Gerken

In Hanover I worked at a foundation and had a really great job. But at some point I felt like doing something new and wanted to work more in arts and culture again and move into project work. So I researched for quite a while, searching specifically further south, because important friends of mine live here too.
At some point I stumbled across the job posting for the Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg in the alumni newsletter of my old university, the University of Hildesheim. Then I looked up Mannheim on Google Maps and thought it could be a good fit. After I sent off an application, a few weeks later I was on the ICE to Mannheim. I took the time to have a look at the city then.

Nora Gerken

The Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (IFFMH) brings international film to Mannheim and Heidelberg and discovers new film and directing talent. This year the program features more than 80 films from 50 countries. The festival has existed since 1952, which makes the IFFMH the second most traditional film festival in Germany after the Berlinale. It takes place from November 5 to 15 in Mannheim and Heidelberg. Alongside the film program, there will again be an interesting supporting program. You can find the details on our website. Together we’re celebrating our 75th anniversary under the motto “Imagine Futures!”

Nora Gerken

Yes! It’s a very intense working phase right now.
We all work in our different areas. Shortly before the festival the team grows again, as interns and other crew members join. Preparations are in full swing. At this stage we’re in a lot of meetings and external appointments, working in Excel spreadsheets and our to-do lists, and we’re very busy putting together a wonderful anniversary edition. Working in the team is really fun and I’m very much looking forward to the festival!

Nora Gerken

I think the nice thing about the cultural and events sector is that you’re not just putting on events. You get to engage with an art form, in my case film, and with social issues, and that keeps you very close to the audience. I really value that. It always takes creative solutions for problems that arise at short notice. For anyone interested, I’d highly recommend staying curious, following your own interests, trying things out and networking. Networks can be very important and very supportive in the cultural sector, starting with training, through university, internships or all kinds of different jobs. A film festival like the IFFMH is also always looking for crew members, interns and volunteers to help out during the festival phase.

Nora Gerken

I love being active in nature. I’ve already been to the Käfertaler Wald, and I also tried a really lovely hike from Eberbach into the Odenwald to a campsite.
I really enjoyed that. At the moment, though, I’m also out and about a lot in the region as part of our cultural program for our 75th anniversary. For that, we’ve won many cooperation partners from the cultural and social sectors. Through that, I’m also getting to know the cultural institutions and the beautiful and interesting places in Mannheim and the region.

Nora Gerken

Yes, very much. It was important to me to be on the north-south line, between Freiburg and Hamburg, because that connects me with my friends and family.
And it was actually also important to me to have a direct connection to Berlin. After I came here for the job interview, I checked the location, and Mannheim happened to offer all of that.
Since I’ve been here, I’ve already been to a museum in Basel a few times. These are all new contexts that Mannheim makes possible for me as a hub and starting point.

Nora Gerken

I moved into a shared apartment, which is of course practical. But you can also look around and see what’s going on in the neighborhood. Which initiatives or events are there? Where do your own interests lie and where can you connect, where’s the nearest climbing gym, bouldering gym, swimming club and so on? Or public places, like Neumarkt, where people meet, where others are around, where you can sit down and have a coffee together.

Nora Gerken

I’d like to recommend something from the supporting program. Besides the film program, there are also panel discussions, among other things. On Saturday, November 14 at 6 p.m. at Cinema Quadrat, there’s a really great panel on the topic “Future of German Film.” The panel takes place in cooperation with the Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International and features Eva Tropisch and Constanze Klaue. Sophia Schiller will moderate, and the two panelists will discuss what has stood the test of time, possible opportunities and possible changes in German film. It’s an exciting lineup and I think it will be a great evening. I can also highly recommend the silent film concert Nosferatu. It takes place on November 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the OPAL, together with the Nationaltheater orchestra.