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"Biffen",
Aalborg, Denmark
70mm Cinema Profile
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This article first appeared in
..in 70mm
The 70mm Newsletter |
Written by: Thomas Hauerslev
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Issue 36 - December 1994 |
Some issues the 70mm Newsletter will present
one 70mm cinema of outstanding quality. We will start in Aalborg, Denmark. If any of our readers would like to write about their
favourite 70mm cinema,
this is where to do it.
"Biffen" opened 2. April 1989. There are 51 seats and a 5,4 meter
(17,7 feet) wide curved screen. It is equipped with a Dolby CP65 processor
for 70mm format 42. The 70mm projection lens is a Leitz 90mm Colorplan slide
projector lens. The resolution and color on the screen is outstanding and
there is edge to edge sharpness. The screen is built of wood and the
speakers are placed above the screen. The 70mm projector is a Philips EL4000
DP70 and is completely in level. There is no
distortion on the screen. The
auditorium is built almost as a SHOWSCAN High Impact cinema with a curved
wall-to-wall screen.
"Biffen" is the only cinema with regular 70mm presentations in
Denmark. "Baraka" and
"2001: A Space
Odyssey" have been shown frequently. The audience travel many
kilometers to experience the 70mm presentations. In January 1992 "Biffen"
hosted a
70mm festival of 2 rarely seen Russian 70mm films.
"Waterloo"
and "The Story of Flaming Years" to a sold-out
house. Also shown twice that day was "A Year Along the
Abandoned Road" in 35mm Dolby Stereo.
The cinema is clearly an art-house specialising in 70mm films and well
crafted films like "Short Cuts",
"The
Blues Brothers", "Schindlers List"
and "Blade Runner". The people of Aalborg happily
waits for films to turn up at "Biffen". All of Aalborg "movie
palaces", but "Biffen", are shoe-box cinemas without much
appeal.
Currently in development is a Festival of 70mm films in summer 1995. The
programme will be published in The 70mm Newsletter. The cinema is managed by
cinematographer Orla Nielsen who has built everything himself. "Biffen"
is a very good example that you can install 70mm in your cinema from day 1
if you like. 70mm is not remotely expensive and the cinema does not have to
be a 1000 seater to take 70mm.
Orla Nielsen has recently expanded his
activities to the former Europa bio
in Aalborg. Europa bio closed in 1980 and is now practice room for Aalborg
Symphonic Orchestra. It is called "Synfonien" and has housed a few
special screenings of silent films. The former cinema has been re-equipped
with a pair of
DP70. 70mm will once again sweep the big screen in
Aalborg.
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Further
in 70mm reading:
The Smallest Show on Earth
70mm Meeting
Todd-AO "Sea"
and in
Danish
Stanley Kubrick's
"2OO1: A Space Odyssey" in Super Panavision 70
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Updated
28-07-24 |
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