If not Elvis, who? Where if not Bad Nauheim? If not a day earlier, when? Giovanni Speranza’s »FilmBühne« shows the new, highly acclaimed Elvis film one day before the official start.
Elvis returns to the Städele on June 22 and stays in all performances for at least a week. Cinema operator Giovanni Speranza did everything and with only 92 seats in his new “FilmBühne” managed to convince the distributors that this is the right place for a preview. »That is my statement for Bad Nauheim and all Elvis fans. That doesn’t make any sense anywhere else,” says Speranza, eyes glowing. Director Baz Luhrmann’s film ran out of competition at Cannes, but received an excellent response. The cast with Tom Hanks in the role of the unsympathetic manager Colonel Tom Parker is more than exciting.
Speranza had to sacrifice all other seasons this week. This was the only way the distributors, who prioritize profit before any local Elvis cult, agreed to the preview. There are a total of 17 dates on which you can get enough of Elvis (Austin Butler) and his manager – from the rise from extremely poor conditions to the world star. A tribute to the King of Rock’n’Roll with lots of music. “If things go well, I’ll stick with the main screening for a second week,” reflects the new cinema operator.
Speranza wanted to be a cinema operator. Now he is one – with a lot of enthusiasm every day. Since the opening of the FilmBühne on May 20, however, he has learned a lot. “It’s a total adventure for me. After two weeks I had experienced pretty much everything that was possible,” he says. »One day I had to cancel several times and wanted to give people their money back. Everyone refused. But then it worked.« He makes committed, personal cinema. Talking to people is important to him.
Challenging strips and documentaries
In the cinema arcade, Speranza shows the four program films in the left window. These are unusual, sophisticated strips, often biographies or documentaries. The French film Happiness on a Scale of 1-10 is currently hanging there. On the right side you can also find a blockbuster like »Top Gun«. An exception. Because, according to Speranza, the »FilmBühne« will feature »only unavoidable blockbusters«, those that are a must because they set the standard for a good film. He compiles a summary of the content and reviews himself and posts them.
He has shown more than 20 films so far. Word hasn’t gotten around yet that the special films are particularly worth seeing. But he is confident: »10 or 15 people are not enough to cover the expenses. But I think Bad Nauheim will have enough audiences in the long term who love cinema.« The whole thing is a commission business. Up to 60 percent of the ticket proceeds go to the distributor. The more commission he brings, the faster the films are available.
Everything is now digitized. “In the beginning I felt like a secret agent with the hard drive in the padded and wired case,” he says with a laugh.
There are friendly agreements with the other arthouse cinemas in the area regarding selection and timing. In the summer, Speranza reflects, he might only offer one evening performance from Thursday to Sunday because people tend to be outdoors. A visit is certainly worthwhile, because anyone who has ever been inside the »FilmBühne« comes out raving.
»Elvis«: film start and times
Tickets for the performances in Bad Nauheim’s “FilmBühne” are available both online at www.filmbuehne.de and directly in the cinema. You can buy them days in advance or half an hour before the start of the film with no advance booking fee. Films are shown in their original language with German subtitles every Tuesday. Game times are 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. All dates and films can be found in the showcases or online.
The preview of the new feature film »Elvis« by Baz Luhrmann will take place on Wednesday, June 22nd, the film symbolically begins at 7.35 p.m. (Elvis was born in 1935). After that, »Elvis« will be shown daily until June 29 due to the extra length of 160 minutes at 5 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. on weekdays and at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. on weekends.
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