Small cinemas have it harder: Groebenlichtspiele fight for survival
Created: 12/31/2022, 3:00 p.m
By: Ulrike Osman
Worried about the future: Petra Löw, the operator of the Gröbenlichtspiele.
The small cinema is still carrying.
"But if the number of visitors doesn't increase by a third, then things don't look good," says Löw.
archi I'm not giving up cinema too quickly.
Petra Löw © (archive photo) Weber
The Gröbenlichtspiele recently received an award for their program – once again.
Operator Petra Löw has often received the award from the FernsehFilmFonds (FFF) Bayern.
The FFF wants to support small cinemas because they are particularly struggling.
And it's not just because of the aftermath of the pandemic.
Gröbenzell
– Paradoxically, it is the film distributors who make life difficult for small houses like the Gröbenlichtspiele.
Because they shear all cinemas, regardless of size, over the same comb by dictating a certain running time for their films.
For example, in order to get a film like “Avatar”, Petra Löw has to commit to showing it continuously for four weeks.
And since she only has one screening room, nothing else works.
(
By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular
FFB newsletter.)
Only on Christmas Eve were "Der Räuber Hotzenplotz" and another children's film allowed to be shown.
The "Avatar" lender Disney "graciously allowed her to do that," says Petra Löw with a bitter undertone.
She would gladly not respond to such gagging conditions and change films more frequently.
"A colorful program would be important." But doing without a blockbuster like "Avatar" is out of the question.
It attracts visitors and attracts a different group of visitors than usual, namely families with older children.
This is particularly important because children's films are no longer as popular as they used to be, explains Petra Löw.
Her regular audience is female and over 40.
It was not a good year for the traditional cinema on Puchheimer Strasse.
Even after the restrictions were lifted, the number of visitors has not yet reached the level of the pre-Corona period.
"We are a good 30 percent behind the figures from 2019," says Petra Löw.
And even then, the operation was already a zero-sum game.
She sees the streaming services as her main competitor, when films are available there shortly after they are released.
The Groebenlichtspiele are still going strong because the operator owns the house in which the cinema is located.
Actually, says Petra Löw, she would have to pay her own rent in order to build up reserves for renovation work on the 72-year-old building.
But the income is not enough for that.
"It's difficult."
She shouldn't just give up the cinema - the 60-year-old often hears this sentence from her visitors.
Then she can only ask them to come regularly and spread word of mouth among their circle of acquaintances.
It is undisputed that the place would be missing something without the Gröbenlichtspiele.
In addition to normal operations, Petra Löw regularly works with local institutions.
Cinema weeks for primary schools take place several times a year.
Then she gets the strips you want.
They are mostly film adaptations of children's books that were previously read in class.
The Bund Naturschutz (BN) cinema evenings also work well.
“Into the Ice”, a film about a Greenland expedition, was shown in September.
"North Drift - Plastic in Streams" followed in November about the pollution of the seas.
"These films are doing very well because the BN advertises them on its channels," says Petra Löw.
She usually gets the local chairperson access to the films in advance so that they can arouse the curiosity of potential viewers about the content.
It works.
The same target group of ecologically conscious people always feel addressed, but the house is full.
"It's a nice collaboration," said Löw.
also read
Already inhabited: the roof of the new building has to be demolished – the client has disregarded several rules
READ
Water birth in the "paddling pool": Baby Jakob was born in his own living room
READ
Young bull runs through Germering for two days – fire brigade and police despair
READ
Family business at the Harthaus train station - there are Börek and Breze here
READ
Vaccination center closes - farewell after eventful Corona years: "I would do it again"
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My space
In the new year she wants to sit down with the BN and plan the next cinema evenings.
"I'm not giving up the cinema too quickly," promises the 60-year-old.
"But if the number of visitors doesn't increase by a third, then things don't look good."
You can find more current news from the district of Fürstenfeldbruck at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.