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Kino International in Berlin participates in the campaign “Kino lights.
To you"
Photo: Fabian Sommer / dpa
With the campaign »Cinema lights up.
For you «on Sunday evening cinema operators throughout Germany pointed out their difficult situation.
Instead of the canvases, however, only the facades of the cinemas, which had been closed for four months, shone in bright colors.
According to the industry association AG Kino, more than 300 cinemas had registered for the campaign.
"We have been living without culture for many months," said Christian Bräuer from the Kino AG.
Even if you have got used to it, staying at home is a burden.
The cinema operators are also concerned with existence.
Like many other cultural institutions, the cinemas have been closed again since November.
The consequences have long proven to be devastating: As the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) announced last week, around 38.1 million tickets were sold in 2020 - around 80.5 million fewer than a year earlier.
This corresponds to a decrease of around 68 percent.
69 percent less sales
The cinemas were already closed for several weeks in spring 2020, and due to the distance rules, only significantly fewer visitors were allowed into the cinemas in summer and autumn.
Accordingly, the cinemas also made less sales.
According to the 2020 survey, they earned around 318 million euros - around 69 percent less than in 2019. At that time, the cinemas had turned over more than a billion euros.
With the “Kino lights” campaign, the cinema operators want to send an appeal to politicians: “Give us an opening perspective,” said Bräuer in front of the Berlin Kino International.
On Wednesday, the prime ministers of the federal states want to discuss how to proceed with the pandemic with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).
Berlin's cultural institutions such as the three opera houses and various theaters had already urged politicians in an open letter not to subordinate culture to the economy: theaters, operas and concert halls should be allowed to open at least as quickly as retailers, so their demand.
At the same time, the lighting campaign is also coordinated with the start of the Berlinale.
The first part of the completely restructured film festival begins this Monday.
Parallel to the European Film Market (EFM), the industry event for producers, agents and film distributors, the press will be able to watch a selection of the programmed films online for five days from Monday - a stronger contrast to the bustling public festival that normally takes place for occupying the capital for ten days in February is hard to imagine.
And not all of the films competing for the Golden Bear are available online for the press, including highly anticipated films such as Daniel Brühl's directorial debut »Next Door« and the remake of the Erich Kästner classic »Fabian« by Dominik Graf.
The experiment of creating enough attention for new films under pandemic conditions with this so-called »Industry Event« and, to a certain extent, ushering in the international film year 2021 - it is a daring one.
However, the jury for the competition, consisting of six winners of the Golden Bear, is on site and views the nominated films in the cinema.
Their decisions are to be announced on Friday afternoon.
A public festival for the public is planned for June, during which the award ceremony will also take place.
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hpi / dpa