BERLINER UNION-FILM ATELIERS (BUFA)

The Studios at Tempelhof were built in 1913 as a ‘story factory’ with all that was required for film making in one building. This factory was home to some of the first makers of film production in Germany. Over the years, the space has been home to different productions such as the early expressionist horror movie “Der Golem” (1920), Walt Disney’s “Emil und die Detektive” (1963), television shows such as “Die Hitparade” and various advertisement productions. Recently, productions like Daniel Brühl’s “Nebenan” (2020), or the “Klima-Bürgerrat” have taken place at Berliner Union-Film Ateliers (BUFA), the name of the studios since 1963.

The history of the area is a multi-faceted clash: Starting with the Templer order that gave Tempelhof its name, to the gardens where vegetables for Berlin were grown, the fascist monumentality of the Zentralflughafen, the airlift of 1948-49, and today’s raves, kites and grassroots movements which are now struggling to define a new purpose for the airfield.

Atelier Gardens is a new name given to Berlin Union Film Studios and is situated in an industrial area close to a working class neighborhood, where gardening and industrial activities have played an important role over the course of the past century.

Details for the ongoing open call "Berlin Walls: Call for Mural Projects" are accessible here.