Sometimes you wonder what a movie theater should look like again, and then you go to the Ketelhuis. Not a multiplex with popcorn smells and neon signs, but a former factory building on the Westerga site in the Westerpark neighborhood. Architect Louis Kooken designed the halls as an upward-widening box within the industrial building, and you can tell. There's character in the building, and that's exactly the kind of cinema the city needs.
The Ketelhuis opened on March 29, 1999, but had been established as a foundation back in 1996. Director Alex de Ronde runs the business, with Jeroen in charge of communications and Barbara in charge of film logistics and digital keys. The cinema has three theaters: a large auditorium with 143 seats and two smaller theaters of 50 seats each. Together, they account for 293 seats. Not large, but also not small enough to become claustrophobic. The program revolves around Dutch feature films and documentaries, international arthouse titles and youth films. No blockbusters, no franchise sequels. Just good films.
What sets the Boiler House apart from an average movie theater is its programming policy. Every week there are set series that go beyond the screen and the seats. Film and Soup is one such: a film screening combined with a bowl of soup, organized in collaboration with Stadsdorp Westerpark. It's exactly as accessible as it sounds, and that's a compliment. There is also the educational series How to read a movie, for those who want to get more out of what happens on the screen. The café-restaurant in the same complex is not insignificant either. You have a seat before and after the film, and that makes the visit more than just a screening.
Film and Soup is exactly as approachable as it sounds, and that's a compliment.
For Cineville pass holders, the Ketelhuis is free to enter, making it an obvious choice for regular moviegoers. The cinema is affiliated with the Dutch Association of Cinemas and Film Theaters. The Westerga area is easily accessible from the Jordaan and the Baarsjes, and the area itself is a reason to go that way anyway. The Ketelhuis is one reason to stay.