Andrea Sawatzki: "There were many years when it was dark around me"

In the TV premiere “Bundschuh Family Bundschuh vs. Bundschuh” on ZDF, fans can once again look forward to chaotic but also exciting experiences of the Bundschuh family with Gundula (Sawatzki), Gerald (Axel Milberg, 67) and their loved ones will never get bored. In the brand new film in the series, viewers can look forward to a fight for the mayoral candidacy between the married couple. The Bundschuhs’ latest adventures can be seen on Monday, October 2, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. on ZDF.

actress Andrea Sawatzki60, whose novels provide the basis for the successful television series, gives insights into her life on the occasion of the new episode of the ratings guarantee and shows that things were not always easy and simple for her, similar to the Bundschuh family.

Andrea Sawatzki about life in the country and shadows of the past

In the interview, the “Bundschuh” star talks about the TV family’s latest adventure, about what the future of the film series looks like, but also about the darkest time in his life.

Can you imagine moving from Berlin to the countryside like the Bundschuh family?

Andrea Sawatzki: Very good, actually, and that’s why I gave it to my husband (married to actor Christian Berkel, 65, since 2011; Anm. d. Red.) has also been suggested several times. But then it stayed with the current model in which we connect the worlds with each other. We live on the outskirts of Berlin in the countryside. And ultimately it’s not that idyllic and stress-free in the village. See the Bundschuh family

Keyword: Lack of infrastructure?

Exactly! The bus only runs once a day, there is no supermarket, no library, no bakery, no post office, nothing. It wouldn’t have been so great for our children either. They complained to us when they were young that it was so annoying to go to friends in the city and to places where there was something going on, so our model was probably the best solution after all.

Since 2015, the Bundschuhs have consistently ensured good to very good ratings. Are further episodes already being planned?

There will definitely be another episode. But our wonderful producer Regina Ziegler I always have to go to ZDF to clean doors and get the green light.

At the end of the new Bundschuh episode you say the following: “We are all on thin ice. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.” When did you come to terms with the fact that nothing in life can really be planned?

I learned this in my childhood, and this insight has steeled me for life: Living with a father suffering from Alzheimer’s brings new surprises every day and every night. Because my mother had to earn our living alone as a nurse, I was responsible for his care. Despite all the dark, demanding and stressful aspects, this time was definitely very educational for me in retrospect. Today nothing can throw me off track so quickly.

Are you more of an optimist or pessimist by nature?

For me, it varied depending on the phase of my life: there were many years when it was pretty dark around me. This was mainly due to the feelings of guilt that I incurred as a child while caring for my father and that I also processed in my novel “Brunnenstrasse” in 2022. Only after years of working on myself and my state of mind through therapy did I realize that there isn’t just darkness.

What kind of guilt are you talking about?

The time in which I had to look after my father was so psychologically stressful for me that even when I was around twelve years old, I sometimes thought about how I could end this time. What I would have to do so that my mother and I could live like we used to when we were alone. When my father died when I was 15, I had so much self-hatred and so much guilt that I even had these dark thoughts. Today I wish I had gotten professional help back then. Then I would certainly have been spared some dark years.

How much do you hold on to things and people?

Mercilessly sorting out memorabilia from my life. I love clarity and I love the here and now! What should my children do with the boxes of memories? That’s just a burden. And once I have decided to do so, I can let go of people who are simply not good for me.

Are there things you keep?

Of course, the pictures, crafts and stories from our boys cannot be ignored. Bruno, our youngest, is very talented artistically and therefore wants to go to the art academy. And at the age of nine he painted a huge watercolor of our Great Dane. It’s so beautiful that this framed picture still hangs above our bed in our bedroom to this day. Moritz writes fantastically, we’ll save that too. We get supplies every birthday and Christmas. These are the most beautiful gifts!

Source used: alexander-nebe.com