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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.

S he had drawn a picture of the Eiffel Tower. As a sectional drawing. With a thick felt- stood a house, built into an old, long abandoned exit. The man from BVG opened the
door: An office, indeed! Without daylight, illuminated by neon, full of monitors on which
tipped pan. The four hefty, stone feet, the mighty arches, the zigzag of the struts, the
restaurant level, very meticulously, with the kitchen, the toilet and the storeroom and the bustle on the platforms was flickering and on one of them even the regular TV pro-
then, she had left out the second level, right at the top, a single, tiny room. With a desk gramme. “This is not shown for fun, we have to watch this so we are to first to know
and a phone and stacks of paper. “The office”, she said, and showed me her drawing and whenever something happens. Demonstrations, accidents, catastrophes. So we can react
asked: “How do you like it?” And I said: “That doesn’t really exist. An office up there. Most at once.” “Is the job actually gratifying, in permanent neon light?” Lu asked and looked
certainly not.” “Yes, it does exist!” “No, it doesn’t!” “Yes it does!” “No!” “Does, does, at her watch. The man from BVG nodded vigorously. “I was unemployed for a time. I
does!” Then she hit me on the head with her fist. I took a step back. And she was shocked don’t want to go through that again.” Pastor Germer was waiting. Under the porch of
about her boldness. “I’m sorry.” “That’s okay.” “My name is Lu, by the way.” “Lu?” Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Mr Germer did not look like a pastor, at least not how
“Louisa, but everyone calls me Lu.” Then the recess bell shrilled and we trotted back into one perhaps imagines a pastor to look: thin, gaunt, ascetic, with a bald head and thick
the classrooms, she into 4a and I into 4b. We have known each other since then and since glasses. He was more like a furniture mover or a swimming instructor, with broad shoul-
then it had becoming our running gag: “Doesn’t exist at all.” “Yes it does.” ders, big hands and a deep, firm voice. “We would like to convert the office rooms, to
For a while, she wanted to become an architect but became something else. Ten days open up the church more.” We went around Eiermann’s octagon, he unlocked the
ago, I met her again. Not for the first time since primary school but for the first time in 15 administrative wing, we entered. Outside, traffic noise, in here muted sounds; outside,
years. She was in Berlin, for a meeting at her sunny autumn, here opaque twilight; outside
party which she never called FDP but always visual chaos composed of cars, stores, posters
the “Liberals”. Lu had become someone there, and advertising, here designed order, architec-
had made it into the centre of power where the ture as an equation of its parts. The office was
hallways are air-conditioned, the carpets soft located at one of the edges, separated from the
and the office walls decorated with modern art. access corridor by clear glass and that in turn
She arrived by taxi, we went to the pub around separated from the outside by the uniform con-
the corner. She looked at her smartphone, crete grid of the church and translucent glass. A
rejected incoming calls. “Well, we’ve got an house in the house and thus, despite the pro-
hour.” She played with her wristwatch in pre- fane use, strict and sacral in its effect. “In my
cise, practiced movements, she smiled, fre- job, I get to hear a lot about people’s woes,
quently, and hardly laughed anymore and if she above all the pressure to perform worries
did, it was a switched-on laugher, loud and cal- many of them”, Mr Germer said and gently
culated. She had changed. Then she talked closed the door. I was lucky, Lu always arrived
about Mr Lindner, about the digital future, about in Berlin via the main railroad station, she did-
new performance incentives, the failure of the n’t know the old Bahnhof Zoo and neither the
Grand Coalition, the free economy, about her small gate next to the high-rise building in the
meeting with the BDI, the Federation of German station forecourt. Those were the times when
Industries, and her re-election, the majorities of everything was disreputable and international
votes, percentage points, coalitions and here and spies were up to their tricks. Now it
appointments. I listened. At first with concentra- Foto: Benjamin Reding was almost peaceful, almost a bit provincial.
tion, fascination even, then less so and even less And that was how it smelt, too. The stench of
and my mind wandered, my gaze wandered as cow dung wafted towards us. “Here”, I called
well, studied the glass, the beer felt, the scratches in the wooden table, the traffic lights out and pushed the gate open. Behind it was a parking area and behind that an incon-
at the crossing, the changing colours. “In Berlin, there’s an office on the lowest level of spicuous office building with an inconspicuous office hallway, long and linoleum-covered.
the underground.” Lu looked at me as if waking up. “What?” I repeated the sentence and “Come right in”, somebody called through the open door at the end of the hallway. A
she answered. “Doesn’t exist at all.” “Yes, it does!” I continued: “And an office in the mid- young woman was sitting at her computer and was busy typing. Through the window one
dle of Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.” “Doesn’t exist at all.” “Yes, it does!” I was in full looked out at a park, sunny and full of trees. “How do you like your job?” I asked. “Super.
flow. “And an office with elephants.” She shook her head. “Does so! I’ll show you.” We In the beginning, it was difficult to find a flat and a day-care place, the rents are high and
took the underground to the underground station. Lu had called from the hotel in the …” “Tooooooot!” It sounded like a trumpet. Lu startled, but she was the only one, the
morning and warned me. “Only until 2 p.m. I have an appointment afterwards.” We got young employee went on typing unaffectedly. “There …. are two elephants in front of your
off at Hermannplatz station. An underground Art Déco palace of yellow tiles, grey pillars window.” Lu pointed to the outside. “Yes, those are Victor and Drumbo, they frequently
and labyrinthine stairs. Lu looked around. Flower shop, kiosk, ticket machines. “There’s come by. But as a zoo employee, you are used to this.” I grinned. “Now you know where
nothing here, no office.” “Yes there is!” At the very end of the platform, behind the the smell in front of the station comes from. It is not cow dung.” “No, that comes from
“Emergency Exit” sign, there was a door between the tiles. I knocked, a man from BVG the elephants”, Lu said and laughed and it no longer sounded artificial but a bit like in
transport services opened. “You called about the office?” I nodded. “Come along then.” the old times. “Hell, the meeting! I am already far too late.” She nodded at me, brushed
Behind the door, stairs led down and behind them stairs led up and right in the middle off her suit, and got into the nearest taxi.

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