Schlöndorff has a clear opinion on the current situation of the cinemas. But he hasn’t completely lost his optimism: “Cinema has a certain future,” he says – under one condition.
According to director Volker Schlöndorff (84), cinema is facing challenging times. The filmmaker spoke to the “Berliner Morgenpost” (Sunday) about this. The Oscar winner was asked about the number of visitors to German cinemas and his documentary “Der Waldmacher”, which he had presented in several cinemas in the country.
“Yes, the film is celebrated. And also noticed,” said Schlöndorff. “But the cinema has lost. And will never write the old numbers again. I found that out on my cinema tour, I spoke to theater operators every evening.”
His suggestion for improvement
In his opinion, the requirements have changed. “Repertory cinemas have to offer a program. It’s not enough to just show films. You always have to offer guests and events,” said Schlöndorff. But there is also a young audience. “In the hall you don’t just see the silver hair faction.”
“There are young people who discovered art house films via Netflix,” said Schlöndorff. “They are curious about what else is out there. And then they discover arthouse cinemas and take out subscriptions. That has been confirmed to me again and again. So the cinema does have a certain future. But it will never be the same again.” In Germany, around a third fewer cinema tickets were sold last year than before the pandemic began.
Schlöndorff once won an Oscar for the best foreign language film with the literary adaptation “The Tin Drum”. At the German Film Awards ceremony in Berlin in May, he is now to receive the honorary award.
He told the “Berliner Morgenpost” that “The Tin Drum” was his best film for him. But his personal favorite remains his first film “The Young Törless”, said Schlöndorff, who lives in Potsdam.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
