How exactly can a film lasting only a few minutes depict the complex space of an entire city, and how detailed is the cityscape that ultimately emerges in the viewer's mind as a result of the filmic presentation? Could this also influence the viewer's cognitive processes when orienting themselves within a city? These questions form the starting point of this thesis. It addresses the audiovisual coding of urban spaces and their perception. The focus is on image films of German cities with regard to their potential to influence the cognitive maps of viewers.