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Jeden Monat nähern sich unsere Kolumnisten, die Berliner Filmemacher Dominik und Benjamin Reding, dem jeweiligen Heftthema
auf ihre ganz eigene Art und Weise. Geboren wurden die Zwillinge am 3. Ja nuar 1969 in Dortmund. Während Dominik Architektur
in Aachen und Film in Hamburg studierte, absolvierte Benjamin ein Schauspielstudium in Stuttgart. 1997 begann die Arbeit an
ihrem ersten gemeinsamen Kinofilm „Oi! Warning“. Seitdem arbeiten sie für Fernseh- und Kinofilmprojekte zusammen.

Each month our columnists, Berlin-based filmmakers Dominik and Benjamin Reding, approach the respective issue-specific
theme in their very personal way. The twins were born on January 3, 1969 in Dortmund. Whilst Dominik studied architecture
in Aachen and film in Hamburg, Benjamin graduated in acting studies in Stuttgart. They started working on their first joint
motion picture “Oi! Warning“ in 1997. Since then they have tightly collaborated for TV and cinema film projects.

Ein Essay von Benjamin Reding
C haracters of the plot: Mrs Trümper (clerk), Mrs Yilmaz (clerk). Location: a medium- people are working, how much they talk, how many breaks they take. With a stopwatch.
sized office in a medium-sized company in a medium-sized town. Plain, solid equip-
Have you already seen them?”
ment: two desks, two swivel chairs, two computers. The desks are facing each other front Mrs Trümper: “No.”
to front in the middle of the room, with a large window affording a view to the landscape Mrs Yilmaz: “They do it secretly, you don’t notice a thing.”
outside. One day of many. Mrs Yilmaz and Mrs Trümper are sitting at their desks, looking Mrs Trümper (stretching herself, looking out of the window): “There, there he is!”
attentively at their computer displays, typing on their keyboard with great zeal so that it Mrs Yilmaz (stretching herself, looking at the window): “What does he look like?”
cracks and crunches. Mrs Trümper: “Like yesterday.”
Mrs Yilmaz (in a low voice, talking to herself): “Cold. This aircon. It is always too cold.” Mrs Yilmaz: “Uh. (Mrs Yilmaz stands up, walks towards the window.) I can’t see a thing.”
(She buttons up her cardigan.) Mrs Trümper: “Right there, at the tree. He is sitting on the grass, sleeping ... no, smoking.”
Mrs Trümper (while typing, in a low voice, talking to herself): “We are to blame for the Mrs Yilmaz (hesitatingly): “We ... we ... could shout... something to him.”
injustice in the world.” Mrs Trümper: “The windows cannot be opened.”
Mrs Yilmaz (while typing): “You are only to blame for the coffee stains on the windowsill.” Mrs Yilmaz: “Or wave at him.”
Mrs Trümper (typing, talking to herself): “We are greedy and merciless.” Mrs Trümper: “The panes are mirrored.”
Mrs Yilmaz (looking at her colleague): “Because you never clean the coffee properly.” Mrs Yilmaz: “But he can see us, can’t he?”
Mrs Trümper (staring at her screen): “They order flower pots for 1.99 Euros from us and Mrs Trümper: “He looks up, quite often.”
forget paying, hoping that we forget about it. Then Mrs Yilmaz (standing very close to the window):
our reminder arrives in their letterbox and the “Today he is really looking miserable, the poor
flower pot costs 3.99 Euros because of the remin- homeless man.”
der fee. Then people are annoyed and unhappy Mrs Trümper: “We could take him to the canteen
and they think “If I had only refrained myself from and give him the chance to really fill his belly. An
buying this stupid, useless flower pot”. awful amount of food is thrown away anyway.”
Mrs Yilmaz (while typing): “That’s the way it is, Mrs Yilmaz: “You want to offer him what has
this is a garden tools wholesaler and we are the been thrown away?”
reminder department.” Mrs Trümper (as if she had been caught): “Nuts.
Mrs Trümper (staring at her screen): “But we I order something for him. I was just thinking
could give it as a gift. People would love the out loud.”
flower pot, be delighted and keep it longer, much Diddeldididdeldidit! Diddeldididdeldidit! The
longer than a bought one because it is a present. phone on Mrs Trümper’s desk is shivering. She
What are 1.99, does this really matter? And people turns away from the window, pushes the receiver
would not hate us any longer.” (Mrs Trümper against her ear.
stares at her screen and says nothing.) Mrs Trümper (factual): “Trümper, reminder
Mrs Yilmaz (startled, listening attentively): “Zett is department. (now fearfully, very friendly) Ah,
coming.” hallo, how are things in the HR department?
Mrs Trümper (also pricking up her ears): “Zett Good? Fantastic!”
always gets a cup of coffee from the coffee Mrs Yilmaz suddenly turns away from the win-
machine first. Slurrrppp-slurpp-slurpp-whoosh, dow, rushes to her seat in front of the computer.
followed by the ta-dapp-ta-dapp-tapp of his silly Mrs Trümper (at the receiver): “We? No ... well,
walk. No, that’s the new one from the filing department.” almost never ... very rarely... yes, Mr Zett, yes, ... will never happen again... of course...
Mrs Yilmaz (looking at the windowsill): “In the past, when flowers still stood there, you yes, neither Mrs Yilmaz. Yes, of course. Have a nice day and ...“
did not even see the coffee stains. But plants spread germs via the air-conditioning. That’s Mrs Trümper listens, puts down the phone, remains silent, looks at Mrs Yilmaz, still say-
what they said and took all the plants away.” ing nothing.
Mrs Trümper (while typing): “All we have to do is misspell the name. Or the street or the Mrs Trümper: “This is no homeless person. He was dressed up. He is a controller and
town, and our reminder cannot be delivered. Müller instead of Meier, Homburg instead has reported us. We are standing at the window much too often, he said.”
of Hamburg, Zittau instead of Zwickau. After three unsuccessful attempts to deliver our Mrs Trümper and Mrs Yilmaz sit down at their computers, stare at the screen, start typing.
reminder, our company stops any action. Legal actions are not worthwhile, they are Mrs Trümper (talking to herself in a low voice): “...have to ask you to transfer the amount
much too expensive.” of 3.99 Euros which is due for payment until ... (she turns to Mrs Yilmaz.) Say, how do
Mrs Trümper: “Whether he is back again today?” you spell Hamburg?”
Mrs Yilmaz: “Zett?” Mrs Yilmaz (thinks for a moment, hesitating): “H-o-m-b-u-r-g.”
Mrs Trümper (pointing in the direction of the window): “No, HE, of course.” Mrs Trümper: “And Bergweg?”
Mrs Yilmaz (looking towards the window): “That would be great. (She looks at her screen Mrs Yilmaz: “Talstrasse.”
again.) Controllers are visiting the company. A whole busload. They write down whether Mrs Trümper nods.

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