The seats in the Stendaler Uppstall cinema were already empty last year. Even with conceivable opening options after the current containment ordinance has expired, a visit will probably only be possible in summer.
© Stefan Hartmann
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ofStefan Hartmann
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shut down
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Many recreational institutions can ponder how to deal with a possible end to the lockdown. This does not apply to the cinema: Even without lockdown, there are no films to be shown.
Stendal – There are not many ways to pass the time in the pandemic. According to the current containment ordinance, most of the leisure facilities are closed. From April 19, things could look different again – unless the lockdown is extended. For the Stendaler Uppstall cinema, however, opening it is not an option, as theater manager Günther Tyllack explains when asked by AZ. An opening is expected to be realistic only from July – of course, always subject to the Corona reservation.
In 2019, the number of visitors was still quite decent with 95,000 moviegoers. With the extremely short opening time until March 17th and from August 26th to November 1st, only 27,000 people were able to watch a film on the big screen. 145 days, in other words less than five months, attracted less than a third of the previous year’s visitors to the cinema. The cinema has been closed again for a similar long time. That will probably not change for a few more months: there is simply a lack of films on offer. As early as 2020, many blockbusters, in which the cinema industry had hopes, were postponed to the current year – in some cases even until 2022. In some cases, a theatrical release was completely suspended and the productions were instead offered on streaming services.
“Nobody goes to the cinema because of old camels”, Tyllack also dismisses the idea of re-including well-known films and classics that went well such as the remake of “The Lion King” or “Frozen 2” in the program. That would have been shown by the experiences of cinemas that would have used the first opportunity to open in May 2020.
It will probably only get better in summer. “As things stand, the films on offer in July could be interesting again, despite the European Football Championship,” says Tyllack. With “Peter Hase 2”, the Marvel film “Black Widow” and “Top Gun: Maverick” the ninth part of the “Fast & Furious” series as well as the next thriller by M. Night Shyamalan “Old” there is enough choice with that there is something for everyone. The cinema industry can only benefit from this if the respective containment regulations allow it. “Corona is like a sword of Damocles,” the cinema boss notes. It is simply not possible to predict how the situation will develop. Among other things, because the rental companies operate globally and cannot react to individual openings in different countries. Some of them still behaved like they did in the film roles. “The requirement is that a film has to be played for three weeks in a row, no matter how well it is received,” explains Tyllack. There would have to be more flexibility in the matter. He would prefer it if films could be shown on site on certain days of the week, as required.
But the cinemas themselves would also have to develop further in the future. For example, shows with a film of your choice could be booked in the late evening if someone wants to celebrate their birthday. “That happened before,” reports Tyllack. Special presentations for the university with subsequent discussion for courses are also conceivable. “It has to be more diverse,” says the cinema director. Just waiting to see which blockbuster the distribution companies bring to the cinema next is not the right way in the long term. One thing is certain, however: the cinema is not dead and he is happy to be turning on the popcorn machine again.
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