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Jeden Monat nähern sich unsere Kolumnisten, die Berliner Filme - Each month our columnists, Berlin-based filmmakers Dominik and
macher Dominik und Benjamin Reding, dem jeweiligen Heftthema Benjamin Reding, approach the respective issue-specific theme in
auf ihre ganz eigene Art und Weise. Geboren wurden die Zwillinge their very personal way. The twins were born on January 3, 1969
am 3. Ja nuar 1969 in Dortmund. Während Dominik Architektur in in Dortmund. Whilst Dominik studied architecture in Aachen and
Aachen und Film in Hamburg studierte, absolvierte Benjamin ein film in Hamburg, Benjamin graduated in acting studies in Stuttgart.
Schauspielstudium in Stuttgart. 1997 begann die Arbeit an ihrem They started working on their first joint motion picture “Oi! Warn-
ersten gemeinsamen Kinofilm „Oi! Warning“. Seitdem arbeiten sie ing“ in 1997. Since then they have tightly collaborated for TV and
für Fernseh- und Kinofilmprojekte zusammen. cinema film projects.

J ust between you and me: I am probably rather less suited for writing the current co- bles to first editions of Werther, from the Schedelsche Weltchronik to manuscripts by
King Frederic they call the Great. There were also some architectural books inside and
lumn. This is because I do not really like to go shopping. Of course, there is always
the question whether, in an affluent and throwaway society, shopping (other than for in front of the showcases: Palladio’s Quattro libri dell´architettura, Le Corbusier’s Vers
sturdy shoes and basic foodstuffs, maybe) is not in general something immoral, yes, une architecture, the Bauhaus books and, financially just still within reach, Alexander
profoundly reprehensible. There is also the question of whether being bamboozled is Koch’s Farbige Räume der Neuzeit published in 1926. The heavy book was even lying
an essential rational of buying; and also the impression one easily gets that resources in front of the showcase, hence ready to be leafed through and admired (I thought and
are wasted, the workforce is exploited and almost everything that has not been sold did so). And again, it was a coincidence, I was out and about with my brother and
lands in the garbage (instead of being given away); even if I leave all these considera- again, this was no coincidence, a warning voice rang out from the immediate proxi-
tions completely aside, the hard fact remains: I simply do not like to go shopping. And mity: “Hands off! This is not to be touched!” And as if alarmed by grim secret police,
I am certainly not the only one! Who still remembers Roland Klick? At a time, he was the bookseller jumped up and stored the work in the next, firmly lockable showcase.
almost as famous as Fassbinder, Schlöndorff, Wenders and Herzog, his contemporaries Let’s not fool ourselves, everyone who is familiar with the retail trade of the past years
and fellow directors. His best film was called “Supermarkt”. A story about a loser, ta- knows why it is in a permanent crisis – with and without Corona. As if to confirm this,
king place in Hamburg during the 1970s. A young, simple guy from the lower classes like (unintentional) mockery, I was driven, coincidentally and this time on my own, a
seeks his fortune and only finds the Reeperbahn, prostitution and drugs. The super- few days ago into the main shopping street of a city in the Ruhr area. I walked the
market lending the film its title is only shown incidentally, it is where the young guys whole way although there was scarcely sufficient time between trains. A shopping cen-
attempts a robbery, and this fails as well. But the title certainly fits. Klick had a good tre was the start. Many had been the promises to make the type of business more at-
instinct for locations. The, at the time, still new world of the self-service stores, the tractive: more light, larger inner courtyards, more stairs, more elevators, more green
snack bars, the pedestrian zones and shopping areas, works of art and piano music. There was
centres. Places where anonymity, materialism, art (a fountain), light (spotlights instead of
inhumanity are all too clearly written into the neon) and piano music (taped), only the visitors
façades, the design, the facilities. After a chilly were missing except for five beefy guards who
night in the main station, the young loser ends critically eyed me. And I remembered Roland
up in a stand-up café on Mönckebergstrasse, Klick’s “Supermarkt” and its cold locations, just
where even the steaming cup of coffee is no that the tiles here were travertine slabs. At the
longer able to warm the viewer; Klick locates very end of the shopping street, the sun was al-
the showdown with the police at the entrance ready low, I reached the toy store. Yes, the one
of the SAS high-rise building at Dammtor, a with the dog and the rabbit. “Clearance sale!”
surreal world consisting of concrete joists and The signs were on all the windows. And, so-
garish orange tiles. Klick researched the zeit- mewhat smaller, hand-written on the door:
geist. It was not a hopeful one. Perhaps this is “closing down: 31st July”. The shelves were al-
also why Roland Klick and his “Supermarkt” ready empty, the corner with the Steiff animals
remained no more than an insider tip. as well had been cleared, only an enormous
Simultaneously in reality, 300 kilometres plush lion probably never really intended for a
away: The toy store was a legend. There was sale was still waiting in the window, reduced
hardly a child in the Ruhr area who could not from 499 to 450 euros. “They will never learn”,
have at least call a Lego kit, a teddy bear, a I thought, took, as a souvenir of happy child-
doll’s house from the store at the end of the hood hours, a key-fob plush bear for 2.99 euros
main shopping street his or her own. Before Foto: Benjamin Reding out of the bargain bin and stood in line at the
Christmas, waiting people queued far along last still occupied cash register. Ahead of me, a
the sidewalk. And each autumn, completely in- woman in a wheelchair was waiting. She was
nocuous, without an explained reason, our parents went there with us and attentively struggling to lift a Lego kit up to the cash desk. Suddenly, the cashier stood up, went
noticed what we liked in the store. I discovered a cuddy toy by the Steiff company, a to her, kindly asked her whether she could take the kit from her and, without the
sleeping rabbit with a fluffy fur and velvet fabric in the ears, my twin brother a dog, slightest patronizing tone of voice, having taken her money, helped her to put the kit
also by Steiff, also sleeping, the four paws leisurely stretched out. With uncontrollable into a backpack dangling from the wheelchair; then she opened the store door for the
joy, we ran up to the sleeping animals, carefully took them off the shelf, touched the woman and, with a brief, apologizing look, returned to us who were waiting. The apo-
soft fur, marvelled at the velvet in the ears and made them both – no doubt they knew logy was not necessary, nobody was complaining. Oh, if only the retailers of former
each other well – talk to each other. “Hands off!” A firm adult hand rested on our shoul- times had remembered such a tone of voice, such a handling of with their customers.
ders. “Just playing around is not allowed, you have to buy it!” The bald store employee I softly groaned to myself and paid.
looked at us with displeasure, then took the cuddly toys away from us and placed Epilogue: the cold came, snow fell (yes, snow, that is how long ago it was), then the
them back on the shelf. “Don’t do that again!” Then he let us go. And we didn’t tell holiday approached, the little bells were ringing and we ran down the stairs into the
our parents about it and, with heads bowed, slunk out of the glass store door. living room with the tree and the table with presents. And under the candles, it was
Three decades later, also in reality: An antiquarian fair in the courtyard of the Berlin hard to believe, were the dog and its faithful companion, the rabbit, peacefully slee-
Zeughaus where Schlüter’s masks of dying soldiers look down on the visitors. Classy ping next to each other, Of course, mom and dad had noticed what we liked and se-
the exhibitors, classy the public, also classy the bibliophile valuables: from Luther bi- cretly bought the two stuffed animals.

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