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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.

I f the police were to catch us, we planned to talk our way out of it by blaming the subversive actions went unnoticed. We weren’t finished until dawn. As we left, we saw
client. However, it sounded a little obscure: “Model project for sex education by the
the first morning commuters passing by the posters. My brother’s work would be seen!
Institute for Social Pedagogy”. Too dubious for the police, perhaps. Yet the institute was I was delighted. Then things went quiet, no talk of the town, at least none that we
part of the university. A small, neon-lit, somewhat musty office clad in GRP panels at heard. Just a marginal note in the local newspaper. A local Catholic secondary school
the end of long concrete corridors. Not exactly the aura that terms such as “social” and had expressed its outrage in a letter to the editor. “The youth” were not like that at all!
“sex education” evoke. We wanted to put up 100 posters. In the middle of the night, in “Bei Liebe klickt’s” showed how much the sexual morals of young people had been
the middle of the city. Without permission. “Bei Liebe klickt’s” (If it is love, it clicks): distorted. The photo project was simply “perverse and repulsive”, concluded the letter
a photo project for young people in schools, organized by the institute and the city’s to the editor. But even then, all remained quiet. No media frenzy, no demonstration by
youth welfare office. The theme was to be love and sexuality among young people, the school. Nothing. Autumn came, then winter, then the next spring. “It’s in there!”
with the most successful and expressive photos then being presented in an exhibition My brother ran towards me on the stairs in our parents’ house. He waved the latest
at the city’s cultural-historical museum. That was the plan. The poster was intended issue of the news magazine Der Spiegel enthusiastically. At that time, Der Spiegel was
to encourage participation. “Sex and School” was the name the institute had given the still THE undisputed leading media outlet in the Federal Republic of Germany. “There!”
project in its initial zeal. Then it decided on a less provocative, more evocative slogan: My brother tapped on the open page. A picture of his poster and a short, witty article
“When it is love, it clicks”. This new title and the poster were my brother’s idea. It about the photo project “Bei Liebe klickt’s” with a delightful reference to the moral
was his first “real” printed poster. It was meant to show the reversal and irony of criticism of the local Catholic grammar school under the catchy headline “Vergebliche
expectations. No Cannes beach photo, no naked Sexsuche” (Futile search for sex). “Wow,” I said.
couple in front of a horde of male photogra- My brother took the next few steps in one leap.
phers snapping away, but a circle of naked pho- “Yes, our parents will be amazed!” he exclai-
tographers around a modestly dressed couple med. I held him back. “Better not.” They had a
embracing tenderly and lovingly. All of them, subscription to Der Spiegel and read it regularly
photographers and the couple, were the same and thoroughly. “Maybe we should hear what
age: students about to graduate, around 19 years they have to say about the article first...”. My
old. And not en face, not emphasizing and dis- brother was silent. “...before you come out as
playing their bodies, but photographed against the poster designer.” My brother hesitated, then
a neutral white background and floor, from a placed Der Spiegel on the hall table, where it
bird‘s eye view, deliberately cool and abstract always lay before our parents read it. In the
in their visual effect. My brother spoke to his evening, after reading the magazine, they talked
acquaintances, made appointments, borrowed about it. The poster was a deliberate “prank”
a sophisticated SLR camera and looked for a (said our father), the Catholic school was “right”
suitable room. Then, unexpectedly and unan- (concluded our mother). We didn’t tell about
nounced, he received a call from the head of the the originator; they never found out. “The
institute: no, the photo would be taken by the young people have shown something meaning-
institute’s in-house photographer, but strictly ful about themselves!” The final discussion
according to my brother’s ideas, and the poster took place in the neon-lit, neutral white GRP
design would of course remain entirely his. And Foto: Benjamin Reding office of the Institute for Social Pedagogy after
so, it happened. The professional photographer the exhibition opening. My brother went there.
took the photo under neon lights in the institute The director, a doctor of philosophy, praised
office, not from a bird’s eye view, but en face. But at least my brother’s friends and this and that, calling it “a step forward in the effort to promote understanding and
acquaintances had come. Eight young people, almost exuberantly cheerful, who posed tolerance,” but he made no mention of the poster. Only once did he offer cautious
as photographers and the couple in love. Including my brother, who was no longer the criticism: “The topic of AIDS” had “not been addressed by the young people” and did
actual photographer, but stepped in as a photographer extra. The photo did not come not appear “at all” in the photos. “Unfortunately,” my brother muttered to himself. A
across as artfully cool and abstract, as hoped, but rather strangely unprofessional on few weeks ago, shortly after the end of the summer holidays, the phone rang here. The
the grey office felt carpet and under crude lighting. But oh well, never mind. Despite head of department at the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden was on the line. She
all this, the photo still turned out to be a touch provocative, the poster layout was thanked us for quickly sending the AIDS poster. It is now also available online, with a
youthfully lively, the title font was specially designed for the poster, and everything short explanatory text from the museum. Today I clicked on the page. In response to
was created by my brother and printed in black on purple on white. I marvelled and the criticism from Dr phil., my brother had designed a poster on the subject of AIDS
thought: everyone should see this, it needs to be displayed prominently in the city (“AIDS – Endstation Angst?”) in collaboration with the youth welfare office. Entirely
centre, at the train station, at the town hall, in the shopping district, everywhere, not according to his own graphic ideas. I read the museum’s text: “His poster designs are
just on the notice boards of a few schools. I secretly grabbed half of his copies, called characterized by their clear message and aesthetic conciseness. His works are testi-
two friends and drove into the city. Under cover of night, we stuck 100 copies of “Bei monies to social issues and discourses of their time.” And I think: How good that my
Liebe klickt’s” on construction fences, billboards and electrical boxes. Fortunately, our brother went to those musty offices of the institute!

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