Die Zwillinge

When twin brothers Georg and Steffen look a little too deeply into their glasses one day, they decide to swap roles for 14 days. Georg is the manager of a large department store and Steffen is a writer. The two experience bizarre situations: The department store director is adored by a saleswoman with a passion for literature and has to report on his literary work as the guest of honor at a brigade meeting. He is also short of ideas for the lively stories he is supposed to write. The writer, on the other hand, is not very familiar with the bureaucratic customs of running a department store. He allows all the sales assistants to take their housekeeping day at once, approves 3,000 marks for decoration purposes and approves of all departments of the department store being open until 8pm.

Directed by Hubert Hoelzke, Die Zwillinge leans on a strong ensemble — Rolf Ludwig, Micaela Kreißler, Roman Silberstein — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1973.