Dutch cinemas reopen, but strict rules keep pressure on finances

02:05

Movie fans can head to cinemas in the Netherlands again, but reduced capacity and strict measures mean it is not yet the mass-market entertainment it previously was.

And it is far from the end of the tough times brought on by the coronavirus outbreak for the industry, even if restrictions are being slowly lifted.

Before the crisis, Cinecenter was one of the busiest art houses in Amsterdam, and its reopening has cheered its committed filmgoers. But the cinema is struggling to make ends meet, with only 30 people able to watch a movie – down from the average of 80 before the virus struck.

"We get help from the government for the payment for the people who work here," said Judith Schepers, manager of Cinecenter.

"How long do we have to do this, for the 30 people in the cinema?

"We still hope for things to change, that maybe the 1.5 meters [social distance requirement] will be different… and then, well, it's back to normal."

As a popular cinema, Cinecenter is better positioned to survive, but some of the 300 or so others around the Netherlands are in serious trouble financially.

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