Operation in the Solln cinema continues

It sounds like a happy ending like in Hollywood: The Solln cinema seems to have been saved!

The last cinema in the south of Munich was about to end because the owner, a real estate company, wanted to build apartments there instead of the cinema.

But that is now apparently off the table.

Sedlmayr Haus und Gewerbebau GmbH, which owns the cinema building, had submitted an application to the local building commission to change its use - seven apartments and a shop were to be built instead of the cinema.

But not only did many cinema fans storm, support also came from politics.

And now the senior boss of the real estate company, the former managing director Jobst Kayser-Eichberg, stepped in - and supports the cinema.

We spoke to Cornelia Green, who represents the operator of the Solln cinema, Omaha Film GmbH.

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Cornelia Green from Omaha Film GmbH

© private

How do you say that the cinema is here to stay after all?

Cornelia Green:

We never gave up hope anyway.

The real estate company had applied for a conversion, but we have an existing lease and are still in negotiations.

Then press articles helped us that the conversation got going again and got a positive boost.

And now Dr.

Kayser-Eichberg reported to us and confirmed: It is not his interest to close the cinema.

We want to find a solution.

Wonderful!

Sounds good - what is the next step in concrete terms?

Green:

We are still in talks, we just have to come to an agreement.

But all sides are trying to find an economically sound solution that everyone can live with.

That will be the case for the next few weeks, I think.

So things can continue as normal in our cinema.

How did the audience react to the impending closure?

Green:

We got such great feedback!

On the one hand from the people who always come anyway, but an unlikely number of people have contacted us from Solln and our catchment area around it - all the way to Grünwald - who called us: How can we support you so that you don't have to close?

That was really great.

Now we all hope for a good winter with as few corona restrictions as possible ...

Unfortunately, they can change quickly ...

Green:

Unfortunately it is.

We now have 3G plus in the cinema, so we can actually use our capacity quite well.

People's reactions are good because most of them are vaccinated.

Most of them are in favor of our regulation so that you can go to the cinema with a good feeling again.

Were there moments when you thought we couldn't do it anymore - first the pandemic, then the impending closure ...

Green:

There are always moments when you feel insecure and despondent.

But we cinema people are go-getters!

In the cinema you are used to having bad times.

You just have to think of the summer months when people would rather sit in the beer garden or on the Isar than go to the cinema.

Or the worry that digitization would require large investment costs.

Cinema is always changing - and yet it remains!

The people who are in the industry, especially in the smaller companies, are passionate about it.

What is it that gives you courage?

Green:

The popularity of many people is very encouraging.

You get the feeling that we hit the nerve of our audience, cinema is an important cultural institution after all.

The cinema has suffered a lot from the pandemic and there are developments that scare you - for example, when distributors put their content on streaming services.

But you can still see that people want to go to the cinema.

The experience of watching a film in a hall in company with others is something special.

You can't experience that at home in front of the television!