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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.

H e never wanted to talk about it. But I knew him well, he even got under my behind thick prison walls – into the secret, hidden, secluded. Learn that the place of
skin. For a long time, all I ever heard was a single, sullenly mumbled sentence:
incarceration was first called a dungeon, then a prison, then a jail, then a detention
“Seven years, in Kiel”. First, he had tattooed me a few times, then we shot a short centre and, since 1977, with the introduction of the linguistic monstrosity StVollzG
film at his tattoo studio, using the studio as a film set. Only once, during a particularly (penal system act), a correctional facility. Learn that cells must be at least seven
long tattoo session, did he talk about it more, in two sentences. I had asked him square metres in size, should no longer be called “cells” but “detention areas” and
about the strange tattoo needle that hung so demonstratively above the cash-register that the term “inmate” should be used instead of “prisoner”. Find out that the first
counter. “I constructed it myself, from a razor motor, a sewing needle and a few office “modern” prisons were built in England around 1830, but that most of the new buil-
rubber bands. My first tattoo machine, back in prison.” Wow, that fit the “image”: the dings were erected in Germany between 1871 and 1900; that corporal punishment was
tattoo artist who resides with his studio just a few streets from the Reeperbahn and not abolished until 1923, and the idea of rehabilitation only found its way behind the
was a genuine jailbird. I admit, I liked the idea. Immediately I asked: “What did you barbed-wire fences with the introduction of the penal system act in 1977, and the num-
do? What were the seven years for?” But all that resulted in was a defensive shake ber of new prison buildings has almost doubled since 2000. Photographs of current
of the head. Later, after more tattoo appointments and the film shoot, he added, “I’ll construction signs bear witness to this: “The state is building for you here”. For the
never get up at six o’clock again in my life,” and that was it. Then, just a few months future inmates, this is an announcement without irony. And I discover that there are
later, he closed his studio and moved to Asia. He said it wasn’t as cold there as it architecture firms that are specializing in prison architecture and reap criticism such
was in Germany. With him, the prison topic disappeared. This barren, cultureless, as: “The friendly atmosphere is intended to make attention tangible” or “the corridors
dark, sober and absolutely masculine world of with their apple green, blackberry or turquoise
prisons was not for me, a well-behaved middle- floors make atmospheric added value visible,
class kid from the middle-class suburbs. Only added value from which the employees also
one thought remained: never go there! Until a benefit”. I take a deep breath. I feel that the
few weeks ago, when the doorbell rang: a man dual function of prisons – punishing, locking
I didn’t know, around 30, with a black mop of up and, at the same time, demanding rehabili-
curly hair and a thick beard, stood nervously in tation – can be resolved neither ethically nor by
front of the door and smiled non-committally. architects. “Can prison architecture make pri-
He said he was an actor for film and television. soners better people?” “They end up producing
He had heard that I live here and am a direc- worse people, definitely!” My plumber tells me
tor and asked if I (he addressed me informally on the phone. I called him all upset, looking for
from the start) might have a role for him maybe some kind of explanation. I knew that he had
sometime in the future. Then he politely gave also been a resident at the “boarding school”,
me his name, an Arabic name that is difficult to as he called the prison, years ago. “The old
pronounce and hard to remember. I let him in, jails are the worst. These brick castles. They tell
despite a slight uneasiness. “Film and televisi- you: you are dirt! The windows are so high that
on,” many people claim that, but it’s rarely true. you can’t look out, there’s hardly any daylight,
So, I cautiously asked, “Who have you worked the beds built of bricks and there are rats and
doubts, he claimed that he had previously been Foto: Benjamin Reding have any effect at all? Is it perceived by the
cockroaches everywhere.” “Does architecture
with?” And indeed, he mentioned names, big
names as well, even from theatre and yes, from
inmates?” “In the new jails, you can go right
the film industry. And then, perhaps sensing my
up to the windows, really look out, and there’s
in prison, the controversial new building on the outskirts of town, and had written a nothing there that’s painted red or black. Nothing is supposed to make you aggressi-
book about it. I would definitely know the bestseller, everyone knows it. I nodded, but ve. But, of course, it happens anyway. If you’re not brutal, if you’re a good boy, you’ll
the actual truth was: no, I certainly didn’t know it. I didn’t ask any probing questions. perish in jail.” “But can anyone get better there at all?!” The answer comes without
But from now on there was an uneasiness. What if it’s true? What does the jailbird hesitation: “No, nobody at all gets better in jail.” Four weeks go by, autumn comes
want with me? What is he actually looking for, if not a film role? I became taciturn. and, with it, the early, dark evenings. The doorbell rings. “My sweatshirt, I’ll take it
Then he put his sweatshirt aside. “I’ll leave this with you! I’m going to a party. I’ll with me now,” the Arab “actor” tells me. I open the door, hesitantly. He sits down, I
pick it up from you later, okay?” What could you say? “Okay,” I said. Then he left, get his sweatshirt out of the closet. He doesn’t want to leave immediately, stretches
politely and in a friendly manner. I put the sweatshirt in the very back drawer of the and says: “I didn’t know anything about theatre, about acting, I only saw it in prison.
closet and searched the internet restlessly for his name. His Arabic-sounding name. I There was a workshop with theatre professionals. I went there regularly just to get
hadn’t really memorized it. The only thing left to do was to search using terms such away from the daily prison routine.” He puts on his sweatshirt, “It’s cold out there,”
as: prison, new prison building, actor and my favourite search term: architecture. he explains and gets up. “Get in touch when you have a role for me, okay?!” On the
This time in the variant: prison architecture. I got stuck there and immersed myself in way out the door, he pushes a brochure into my hand, then he says goodbye and
the unfamiliar subject matter. I read that prisons are a modern invention, that until leaves. I look at the brochure he had given me: a press release for a crime series. His
then punishment had always been a public “spectacle” and only later was it moved portrait photo adorns the cover: he plays the assistant to the female police inspector.

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