“Niebieski Kocyk” cinema celebrates its 30th anniversary. ‘The Big Lebowski’ to be screened
In April 1996, the first screening took place at the student cinema of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The 30th anniversary of “Niebieski Kocyk” will be celebrated with a screening of the cult film by the Coen brothers.
It all began on 6 April 1996. The first screening in the history of “Niebieski Kocyk” was “Andrei Rublev”, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. As is often the case with pioneering initiatives, the beginnings were difficult. The inaugural screening, held at the “Od Nowa” club, used a heavily worn-out 35 mm film reel, which suffered repeated damage during the projection and had to be interrupted several times. Nevertheless, the screening was completed, and the audience took pieces of the torn film strip as souvenirs.
The cinema was founded on the initiative of sociology students at Nicolaus Copernicus University, Rafał Góralski (later co-founder of the Toruń-based Galeria Rusz) and Joanna Śnieżko (organiser of the Shakespeare Festival for over 20 years), with the support of the then head of “Od Nowa”, Maurycy Męczekalski. Interestingly, “Niebieski Kocyk” initially began as a student academic circle. It quickly evolved into a thriving film institution with an ambitious repertoire. For 30 years, the cinema has presented both classics and lesser-known contemporary productions that are not shown in multiplex cinemas. In addition to weekly screenings, it has also hosted recurring film reviews and popular cinema marathons at the NCU auditorium, and at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries it organised five editions of the “Young European Cinema” festival.
“Screenings in the 1990s took place in the club’s large concert hall, where the crew set up wooden chairs for the audience, and the film projectors already at that time qualified as museum-grade equipment,” the “Od Nowa” club recalls.
Better times for “Niebieski Kocyk” came in 2012, when the expansion of “Od Nowa” was completed. A new building included, among other facilities, a cinema and performance hall with over 300 seats. The club also acquired modern equipment, including a digital projector enabling 3D screenings.
To mark the cinema’s 30th anniversary, “Od Nowa” invites audiences on Friday, 17 April at 6:00 p.m. to a special screening of the cult film “The Big Lebowski” directed by the Coen brothers. Many people connected with the early days of “Niebieski Kocyk” have confirmed their attendance. A presentation of archival materials will also be shown, including posters, leaflets, and old tickets documenting the cinema’s history.
Promotion Department
17 April 2026
