Hinterlegte Nummern

So much for a world of total accessibility: the inmates in Farina Mietchen’s documentary can only communicate precariously, and access is unevenly distributed between those on the inside and those they wish to contact. “If you can’t reach me,” a former inmate reminds his Turkish friend, who is still in jail, “try again. I can’t call you back.” Such are the rules in the business of the inmate telephone system. Mietchen listens to her anonymized protagonists as they talk on the phone, watch crime shows together, and make plans for their next visit, while she herself fills out visitation requests. The film’s error-prone DV format reflects this world of fragile communication, so out of step with the times—as is, one might argue, the entire prison system that necessitates it.