The filmmaker has long wanted to change his life. In September he did – at least as far as his alcohol consumption is concerned.
Berlin – Director Leander Haussmann (“Stasikomödie”) has, in his own words, stopped drinking excessively. He made the decision together with his girlfriend at a film premiere in September, said the 63-year-old in a “Zeit-Magazine” interview.
“I was sitting in the screening and suddenly I asked myself why I wanted to drink from my girlfriend’s glass. I had just finished my glass.” He had been thinking about changing his life for some time. “I probably had organ pain, like on my back, in the groin area, and quickly got out of breath.”
However, his goal is not to never drink again. “I’d rather only have a drink on nice occasions,” said Haussmann, who was in an alcohol-free phase at the time of the interview. There used to be “no day without alcohol” for him, “unless I was sick or something,” said the director, who is known for comedies like “Sonnenallee” and “Herr Lehmann”. If there was an event in the evening, he would “drink his way up to the evening”. “I also took a couple of Underbergs with me in my pocket.”
Family shows solidarity
Shortly after his decision, he noticed at a meal in the larger family circle that nobody drank alcohol: “They wanted to help us, I thought that was nice because it was so solidary.” But he didn’t want people to hide alcohol from him. “You don’t have to, because if I don’t want to, then I don’t drink.” Since he decided not to drink in this form anymore, he’s doing better. “And I think those who deal with me, privately or professionally, too.” dpa
