With the contract killer Black Widow, Höhlenmenschen and Peter Hase, the Concerthaus cinema in Steinstrasse opens after a corona break of over eight months.
–
–
This is what an empty hall in the Concerthaus cinema looks like.
Fresh start and closure
“Cinema is fun when it’s full and people’s emotions become visible. When it was closed, I came to pick up the post office, ventilate and flush the toilet. Very simple things suddenly got priority, ”says cinema boss Jonas Waldmann.
As Michaela Hesserle’s successor, he worked for a month, followed by lockdown and closure on November 2, 2020. “Cinemas have never been a source of infection. So I’m happy that we’re finally opening again on July 8th, ”says Waldmann.
Program still unclear
He moved from Lübeck to Brandenburg an der Havel for his new job. For him, the Concerthaus is a place that combines tradition and modernity. “It has the charm of an old cinema, but still offers new technology and is located in the middle of the city,” says Jonas Waldmann.
When asked by a VTR, he confirms that the lockdown has created uncertainty among employees and that employees have left the team. The economic consequences of the month-long closings are also serious.
“The losses can hardly be made up. We have to be sensitive and see what is economically viable, ”he says. Because that is the case, information is still missing from the cinema program. It is unclear whether horror films like “A Quiet Place 2”, “Conjuring 3” will be shown and Godzilla will fight Kong on the big screen.
“At first we only made the safe starts and have to watch the films on the market. What is clear is that we cannot show everything, ”says the cinema boss. The program should be finalized by the middle of next week.
No “cinema for connoisseurs” this year
The Concerthaus cinema is part of the Cinemotion chain, which operates 15 cinemas across Germany. Also the series popular with fans “Cinema for connoisseurs” will be canceled until the end of the year. Jonas Waldmann hopes to restart the tradition in 2022.
Despite all the problems, he believes in a future for movie theaters. “Cinemas will keep reinventing themselves. Technology is changing and changing, ”he says, believing that there will be more films from streaming providers like Netflix in the next few years. “The most cinema-savvy users use different platforms at the same time when they are interested in films,” he says.
Worry about the delta variant
The Concerthaus starts with a new hygiene concept. Visitors wear masks in the foyer, have to leave their details via the Luca app or contact form and can then remove their face mask during the demonstration at the seat.
