Boxoffice Pro—Q4 2021

IS THERE AN INDUSTRY
LEADER OR INITIATIVE
THAT HAS INSPIRED YOU—
PROFESSIONALLY OR
PERSONALLY—OVER THE
COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC?
Hanna Dobslaw, Cineplex Alhambra
The staying power of our family business
in Germany means the staying power of
each employee in our cinemas. You could
feel the passion in every action they have
taken. Making posts on social media,
selling popcorn for home cinema events—
we have done everything to stay alive in
the memories of our guests.
Alexander Kuznetsov, Karo
It was the whole Karo team and investors.
All our employees have worked with
dedication to change our work standards
to deliver the safest service possible.
Ulf Jansson, Winberg Kino
It must be my colleague and friend Peter
Fornstam [founder of Svenska Bio], with
his positive attitude all the time.
Jon Nutton, Empire Cinemas
Christopher Nolan, a fantastic and
dedicated filmmaker who (along with
Warner Bros.) pulled out all the stops
to get Tenet out there supporting our
industry last summer. Without this film, I
don’t think many in the sector would have
opened at all after the first lockdown.
Angeles San Gabino, FECE
An initiative I would highlight is the
protocol of sanitary measures during the
reopening process in Spain. And as industry
leader, the president of FECE, Juan Ramón
Gomez Fabra, for his optimism and his
good work with all the associates.
Alain Surmulet, NOE Cinémas
The leader who inspired me the most
during this pandemic? The same leader
who has inspired me for 30 years and with
whom I have the pleasure to work with
every day: Richard Patry. In addition to
being president of NOE Cinémas, he is
also president of the National Federation
of French Cinemas (FNCF). He has
deployed an impressive amount of energy
to defend cinemas in this unprecedented
period, ensuring that no theater is
abandoned or closed. And he succeeded!
New cinemas have opened even after the
lockdown.
Within NOE Cinémas, I learned a lot by
being by his side and I continue to do so
every day. He is one of the greatest cinema
enthusiasts that you can meet. He lives for
cinemas and for the people who work for
them. He is a great entrepreneur, a leader,
a visionary with an incredible capacity for
work. We share the same vision of how to
“Christopher Nolan, a
fantastic and dedicated
filmmaker who (along with
Warner Bros.) pulled out all
the stops to get Tenet out
there supporting our
industry last summer.”
operate and how to do this job. I owe him
a lot and I dedicate this CineEurope Gold
Award to him.
Dee Vassili, Vue International
At Vue, I am fortunate to be working with
authentic and talented people. During the
course of the pandemic, we have pulled
together as one global team and delivered
some amazing results. From a personal
perspective, my colleagues have challenged
me, supported me, taken me out of my
comfort zone, and provided a different
lens from which to view the world. This is
what makes me get up in the morning to
face the day’s Zoom calls and the complex
challenges coming over the horizon.
Martin Waller, Odeon Cinemas Group
I am proud to have worked with the OCG
ExCo team throughout the pandemic,
where the calmness and critical decisions
made under great pressure set the tone
for our whole company. However, the
biggest inspiration for me was working
with our teams across southern Europe,
especially Spain and Germany, where our
operational leads were new to their roles
at the outbreak of the pandemic. Christian
Elbrechter and Jose Manuel Ocaña did
an incredible job getting our cinemas and
our teams back in operation. I saw them
grappling with a new role, in the worst
possible situation, and having to work
with me sitting at home in London rather
than being out in the field with them.
Their resilience and desire to do the right
thing was inspiring to see as we worked on
turning a crisis into a recovery mission.
Q4 2021
43
40-44_CINE_Gold.indd 43 17/09/2021 08:46