With four Oscars, the German co-production “Nothing New in the West” wrote German film history. Cinema operator Thomas Modlinger from Holzkirchen explains why he is not interested.
wooden churches – Thomas Modlinger has turned his passion for film into a career: he has been running the Fools cinema in Holzkirchen, a small art house cinema, since 2012. After the German co-production “Nothing New in the West” won four awards at the Oscars this year, we reach Modlinger on the phone. When he finds out that it’s supposed to be about the Oscars, the cineast at first dismisses it – he’s the wrong guy, he doesn’t watch anyway. But he has a lot to say in response to our questions. About film, cinema and the struggle to survive in the face of streaming services.
Mr Modlinger, do you actually watch films on streaming portals yourself?
“No. This is my competition. I have to admit we have an account from the daughter and during lockdown it was tempting. But what I want to watch isn’t on Netflix anyway.”
Oscars for Netflix: Not good news for the cinema, Modlinger thinks
Now a production is writing German film history commissioned by Netflix. Are the four Oscars good news for the German film scene or bad news for cinema?
“I’m torn about that. I am convinced that “Nothing New in the West” is a great production. I haven’t seen it, but where there’s money, you can also do great things. I think it’s bad news for cinema and I’ll quote Detlev Buck: We – he means the filmmakers – have to think about whether we want to make films or just produce content.”
How important is the appeal of excellent films for cinemas?
“To me, the Oscars are largely just for show, I don’t attach too much importance to that. Much more important to me are the Bavarian or German Film Awards, the “little Oscar” for our own film industry, which is allowed to celebrate every now and then. Most of the award-winning films there read like our previous year’s programme.”
Netflix is going back to the cinemas as a streaming service with some of its productions – such as “Nothing New in the West” and “Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio”. So does the film need the cinema, despite all the prophecies of doom?
“Of course the film needs the cinema. But Netflix only uses the cinemas.”
Corona and streaming have hit cinemas hard
Will “Nothing New in the West” still be in Fools cinemas?
“No. The distributor wrote on Monday whether we still want to show it after the Oscars. But those who wanted to see him must have already seen him. I say there are enough good films. On two screens you can show blockbusters on one screen and something else on the other. I only have one screen, I can’t play everything. The film is probably a must for the cinemas in Tölz and Hausham.”
Cinema has often been said to be dead. what keeps it alive
“Max Mohr once said: the cinema has been dying since it existed. A trinity keeps it alive: It needs a film industry that produces good films, an audience that comes, and cinema operators with passion. If one falls away, it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work with passion alone. This triangle still has all three sides, but it is already tilted. The cinemas are not doing well. Reserves have melted away in the past three years, and costs are rising across the board. We can no longer match the figures from 2018/19. This is a general problem of program cinemas. Luckily I have regular customers. At some point I have to think about quitting. But who takes over a cinema under these conditions? You never know what the future will bring.”
