All wheels stand still during the lockdown, there is no exception for the cinema in Weilheimer Trifthof.
We went to see a performance shortly before it closed.
Weilheim - Roswitha Zellner, the manager of the Trifthof cinema, is behind the counter on Saturday.
She sells tickets, passes coke and popcorn over the counter.
"Personnel costs are the only thing where you can really save," she explains.
“That is why the 20 to 25 temporary workers that we previously employed have not been used since the first lockdown.” The four permanent employees are on short-time work and have had to manage the entire operation since then.
Since in the five cinema halls, which have a capacity of 55 to 194 seats, only a third can be occupied anyway, it somehow works out.
Especially since the response from viewers remained subdued after the cinemas were finally allowed to reopen in the summer.
“We just miss the big films,” says Zellner.
By that she means blockbusters like the new "James Bond" that draw the masses to the cinema.
“Their film start is postponed.
There are also corporations like Disney who no longer go to the cinema with their productions, but only show them on their own streaming channel. ”The situation is difficult anyway;
Closing again in November will not make it any easier.
“When people are not allowed to come for a long time, the cinema disappears from view.
That is why we opened up again as soon as it was allowed to bring us back to our memories. "
Many moviegoers have migrated to streaming providers
It wasn't profitable.
Costs such as rent continued to run, but the income was extremely reduced because there were 70 percent fewer visitors.
As many moviegoers migrate to the network and streaming providers during the lockdown, quite a few will stay there, feared Zellner.
“In addition, our cinema does not belong to a large chain, but is operated by a medium-sized family company.
The boss has already invested quite a bit of private assets in maintaining his five cinemas in Bavaria and Gummersbach.
At some point, however, the funds will also run out. "
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Fears for the future of the cinema: Roswitha Zellner, managing director of the Weilheimer Trifthof-Kinocenter.
© Ralf Ruder
As the autumn holidays have just started, the cinema program focused on the target group “families”.
But there was only the first weekend of vacation to go to the cinema.
It's approaching 3 p.m.
Life is slowly coming into the foyer.
A family from Huglfing with three girls first gets food: soda, popcorn, nachos.
“We really like going to the cinema”, assure the young and old alike before they rush up the stairs into the hall to see “Jim Knopf”.
Meanwhile, Sandra Wiegand from Peiting places her order at the counter.
Son Simon and daughter Selina and their friend Johannes from Saulgrub are also provided with plenty of provisions.
"We like to go to the cinema often," says Wiegand.
"That's why we really wanted to come again today."
"Why do you have to lock up despite the perfectly functioning hygiene concept?"
While the queue at the box office grows, the reporter goes up to cinema 3, where “The Secret Garden” will be shown.
There she meets Selina and Johannes, while mother and brother next door want to have fun with "witches".
Shortly afterwards, another family with two children enters the hall.
The Mönigs come from Peißenberg.
“We go to the cinema five to ten times a year,” they say.
And how about if the cinemas didn't open at all after the lockdown? ”“ That would be shit! ”The daughter exclaims.
"Exactly," agrees the mother immediately.
The children interviewed before had answered the question similarly: “That would be stupid”, said the girls from Huglfing.
"Very stupid," said the Peitinger.
When the lights go out, there are eight spectators in the hall;
In all five halls together there are just 44 visitors this afternoon.
You can easily maintain the required distance and enjoy the special magic that only a film in a large cinema can convey.
90 minutes later, all three families are standing in front of the door in a lively exchange and they all thought it was great.
Only the age rating puzzles parents.
“The 'witches' are not really suitable for children,” says Sandra Wiegand.
The Mönigs agree: The quick cuts in the “Enchanted Garden”, with which a girl deported to her unknown uncle after the death of her parents, repeatedly travels into the past, are not necessarily understandable for children from the age of six.
There is no protest from the youth, there are only smiling faces.
So the audience doesn't seem completely lost yet.
The only hope that remains is that there will be enough cinemas for this after the pandemic.
"What is encouraging is the amount of feedback that has no understanding for the closure," says Zellner.
"They ask, 'Why do you actually have to lock up despite the well-functioning hygiene concept?'"
This is the case with the warehouse cinema in Schongau and the Starlight in Weilheim
Georg Werner: The audience numbers compared to 2019 (as of the end of October 2020): The Starlight Weilheim had 49 percent of the audience, the Schongau warehouse cinema 18 percent.
The fact that the response was rather subdued was also due to the lack of high-profile films.
The November default scheme is good.
Frankly, without a lockdown, the Starlight couldn't get 75 percent from November 2019 in this situation.
Personal assessment of the situation: It is essential to continue or reopen!
Kino P in Penzberg: "In any case continue"
Markus Wenzl: The income / visitor numbers are currently around 40 percent of what we had in 2019, that is, we have a drop of 60 percent.
The response after the end of the first lockdown was good, but only a third of the capacity utilization was possible.
If the cancellation rule for November 2020 remains at a reimbursement of 75 percent, that's okay.
Personal assessment of the situation: In any case, continue!
CLOSER FROM SABINE
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