There are cinemas, and then there is LAB111. The building in Old West was once a pathological anatomy laboratory, and the building has never quite shaken off that history. The decor, the atmosphere, the name: it all adds up. In the summer of 2016, the current team took over the keys and opened the cinema in the form you know now. Four theaters, a bar, an exhibition space, and programming you won't find anywhere else.
The film selection is what sets LAB111 apart. Through its own distribution arm Odyssey Classics, the cinema releases 4K restorations of European classics such as Bernardo Bertolucci's Il Conformista and Rebel Without A Cause. The Third Man is also running as a Matinee Classic in restored version. Those more into Japanese animation: Kiki's Delivery Service by Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki is also showing in 4K. And for David Bowie lovers, there is Sound And Vision: Remembering David Bowie, including the 50th anniversary of The Man Who Fell To Earth.
Bar Strangelove is the extension of the cinema. Sourdough pizzas, a curated drinks menu and sommelier Bas who guides Drink-Along events, including an evening around Lost In Translation where he pairs drinks with what you see on screen. If you want to go further, there's the Film & Food formula: a double bill of 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, combined with a three-course dinner based on the movie theme. That sounds like a joke, but it's not.
Four rooms, a bar, an exhibition space, and programming you won't find anywhere else.
In the exhibition space, 2026 artist Richard Bolhuis works on audiovisual installations. Several screenings a week are sold out before the week begins. That says enough about what LAB111 in the Baarsjes neighborhood means to people who take films seriously, without being heavy handed about it.