Family man, firefighter, movie star

The Gilching fire brigade recruits new members with a movie ad from Friday.

In one minute and 26 seconds, he tells how normal family fathers are there for their children and society as a whole.

Gilching

- cinema advertising has always been something special.

There is the big screen in the dark hall, in addition there is often the haunting voice of a narrator, the rich sound and a surprising ending - all of this can offer good cinema advertising.

And all of this is also offered by a spot that can be seen from Friday in the film station in Gilching.

The volunteer fire brigade uses the strip to attract new members.

The plot is quickly told at first glance: a couple of girls meet up with friends for a movie night at the film station, and their dads affectionately say goodbye to them.

You buy popcorn, look forward to the film - and then the projector catches fire.

A little later the fire brigade is in the cinema, everything turns out well.

The papas hug their daughters again.

But as it is: the second look is at least as important as the first. Because the two dads are Gilching's commander Robert Strobl and his deputy Michael Klinglmair. Klinglmair's daughter Elisabeth (12) as well as Strobl's daughter Anna and friend Elena Kühn (both 15) are there. And behind the counter of the cinema is Matthias Bojen, who runs the film station together with Ulf Maneval.

"We want to show that it is normal dads who are active in the fire department," says Klinglmair in an interview with Starnberg Merkur. Some time ago he had the idea of ​​attracting new members with a movie advert. It is true that the situation in Gilching, with currently 82 active workers and 23 members in the youth group, is “basically not bad,” he says. “We have no need, but we are worried that things may be different.” In addition, the demands on the fire brigade in Gilching have increased in recent years and will continue to increase in the future: the community is growing continuously, numerous new companies have settled here, also from the high-tech sector with corresponding fire protection features.In addition, he is responsible for a section of the A 96 motorway. Last year the Gilching comrades drove around 200 missions, this year there are 65 so far.

Klinglmair then discussed his idea with the other executives, with Strobl, the group and platoon leaders and also with the club's chairman, Johann Müller.

Around 15 people put their heads together and finally came up with the final idea.

Through a private contact, Michael Rudy from the Blue Wave Productions company in Feldafing was also found the man who can handle cameras, who has drones and who can ultimately cut everything together.

Filming started in February of last year, there were four days of playing and filming - then came Corona.

“We had to stop everything,” says Klinlgmair.

The last two days, including the final scene, followed in autumn - then the cinemas had to close with the beginning of the second lockdown.

"Originally our film about the new James Bond should have started in April 2020", reports Klinglmair.

Then the start was planned parallel to the Eberhofer thriller "Kaiserschmarrndrama".

Had, had a bicycle chain ... Now the one minute and 26 seconds are running for the first time this Friday - in the advertising block in front of “Nomadland”, with which the film station resumes operations.

For them it is a point of honor to support the fire brigade, says operator Ulf Maneval.

"That is the least we can do."

Klinglmair, Strobl and all comrades hope that as many Gilchingers as possible will now also agree to do so. “The message is: something can happen very quickly. And then the fire brigade is needed, ”says the deputy commander, who by the way still has a dream. When the new fire station in Gilching is built and inaugurated in a few years, there will be a hundred active members. Anyone interested in being part of “the strong one for Gilching”: All information can be found on the Internet at www.feuerwehr-gilching.de. This applies to adults as well as to young people from the age of twelve who are interested in the youth fire brigade.