You have to be able to listen to your audience

Thilo Goetz

The Clubkino, Thilo, is one of the last arthouse cinemas in Chemnitz. What is the difference to the big cinemas?
Thilo Götz: The question about the arthouse cinema is always a good one. We have a fixed monthly programme, unlike the Cine Star in the Roter Turm, for example, where the programme changes every week. There it says: if a film is showing, it stays in, if it's not showing, it comes out. In our case, I decide a month in advance and say: these films will be shown next month. They'll be on, no matter what, but after that it's over. You can adjust to that. There are a few other film venues like the Weltecho, for example, but they don't just do pure cinema.

You always expect arthouse cinemas to have a certain artistic or quality standard. How do films make it into your programme and which ones aren't shown?
That's always difficult. Of course, it's a lot about award winners, reviews and well-known names. But then there are also well-known names that don't make it into our programme, like Schwarzenegger and all the others. There are a few films where I say: No, that's not necessary!

But the not uncontroversial film "Fack ju Göhte" has made it into your programme. Why?
"Fack ju Göhte" was recently shown. But that was because a school had ordered the film for its pupils. And I put it in the programme three times a week because we had people who wanted to see it. "Fack ju Göhte" is a phenomenon that happens from time to time. I also think it's a real summer film. Maybe I'll show it again in the summer when people ask themselves: "What are we doing today? Oh, look, I've seen it before, but I'm going to laugh my arse off again." It's not the most ambitious film, but it's entertaining.

Is it true that arthouse cinemas are dying out because they have these quality standards?
I don't think so. I know the statistics nationwide. The cinema itself is relatively stable. In recent years, however, the switch to digital technology has certainly killed off some small cinemas because they couldn't afford the 50,000 to 100,000 euros for a modern system. However, a cinema like the one we run still has the best chance of surviving because we can react flexibly. Large cinemas are dependent on someone far away doing the programme. And they pick the blockbusters in the hope that lots of people will go to them. No one would expect a big claim to happen there. But if you're a bit smaller, you can also cater to smaller demands and it's naturally a cosier atmosphere, at least here with us.

What makes this special "cosy" atmosphere?
I think it's something quite unusual here. There are of course these swivel chairs, the tables, the short commercials, the bar in the cinema and you sit more quietly. You can also talk to each other and we make jokes. We know each other and our visitors. That doesn't happen in the big cinema.

So going to the cinema with you is more of an experience than an event.
It is an experience, yes. We do have events when something really special happens. But that's the exception. You're not distracted, you have your peace and quiet. It's actually what you expect from a cinema.

Now the section is called "Makers of the week". Do you need special maker qualities to make a film? And if so, which ones?
I think so. You have to know your stuff and want to do it. If you have nothing to do with cinema or don't like it, you shouldn't do it. And you have to be able to listen to your audience. I can't change the films, I can only play the films that are available. But of course the question remains as to how you use the films and when and if at all. Many people have confidence in us: "If they're showing something, you can watch the film." It's very rare for someone to say: "I saw a film with you that I was totally disappointed by." Of course that happens. There are always films where you expected something different. But it's never actually happened that people go out and say: "That was terrible." You're never really disappointed. But you have to know your audience and you only get to know them when you've been doing it with a lot of love for many, many years.

How would you describe your audience?
We have a lot of regular guests. That's a big part of it. They always bring someone new with them. And then they tell others about it. Then it also happens that people who haven't been to the cinema for years come back at some point. But it's mainly people who come more often. I don't know why they come here. Some don't have a TV, others say: "Oh, it's a nice change of pace." Others say it's fun or not so expensive. They are film lovers.

How do you see yourselves in the Chemnitz cinema landscape?
Well, we're the best cinema in town. The only true cinema! What we often hear is the phrase "real cinema". That usually means the cinema in the "Roter Turm" gallery. People love coming to our small cinema. If you want to enjoy a film comfortably and in peace, you'll only find it here.

You are part of the Chemnitz film workshop. A few films from the Filmwerkstatt have also won international awards. Is Chemnitz a place where you can find a lot of material for films?
I'm the wrong person to ask, because I have less to do with shooting and producing films. But I'm actually a bit underwhelmed by what's being made about the city in general. The films that are made are usually not about the city. Of course, you know the people and places that are in them. But that's nothing to do with the content "Chemnitz". I personally find the films about Chemnitz exciting and there would certainly be topics. When young people recently made a film about 7 October 1989 with original material - it was a school film, a school project! We showed it here several times and of course a lot of people were there because they were interested.

There are also efforts to turn Chemnitz into a film set. Is the city suitable for this?
Sure, there are some marvellously beautiful corners here. But I can't judge that at all. I would always make a comedy out of it.

Not in terms of film production, but in terms of the experience: isn't Chemnitz really a film city? Do people from Chemnitz particularly like going to the cinema?
No. I also notice that in our cinema. That's why the death of cinemas here in Chemnitz was so massive. Cinema chains have calculated that compared to other cities with the same number of inhabitants, the people of Chemnitz don't go to the cinema that often or that much. And of course something like that is growing. The history is also not such that people here have always enjoyed going to the cinema. Chemnitz was not a cinema stronghold, although the "National Feature Film Festival of the GDR" was held here every year in GDR times. But let's put it mildly, that completely passed the population by.

Today, however, the children's film festival "Schlingel" is back in Chemnitz. What's it like?
I can only say a little about it. No film from the festival reaches us. It's mainly schools that go to the children's film festival.

The Clubkino and the Filmwerkstatt are at home in Chemnitz. Would your concept, your "cinema" principle work anywhere else?
No, not at all. I grew up in Chemnitz, I'm from Chemnitz and I was born in Karl-Marx-Stadt. I was in the film club in the club cinema here before reunification and after reunification in the Chemnitzer Filmclub e.V. in the Haus der Verbände. That was always a lot of fun. And then I ended up here in the cinema and it's still fun now. You can't take it anywhere else. I also don't want to have to compete with 30 other cinemas in large locations like Berlin.

Is that easier in Chemnitz?
I'm of the opinion that Chemnitz always overestimates its size. If you look at where Chemnitz actually goes from here to there, you have to make a few compromises. Of course there are people in Grüna or Mittelbach who like to come to us because they live just round the corner. But we are not a big city in the sense that it always sounds. And if we were to accept that, then we would all feel better and we wouldn't have to keep looking to Leipzig or Dresden. I think there are also disadvantages in these cities that we don't want to have here because of our cosy existence. And I'm quite happy about that.

So you don't have to encourage the people of Chemnitz?
Encouragement? Why do we have to encourage the people of Chemnitz? We don't have any problems, we're actually doing pretty well. If people didn't talk everything to pieces and if there were a few people who said, I'm going to do something now and they'll find people to join in, then the people of Chemnitz would have fun too!