Andrea Sawatzki: She prefers her garden to the Maldives

Andrea Sawatzki
She prefers her garden to the Maldives

The Bundschuh family is back. In “Bundschuh family – under lock” (September 1, 8:15 p.m., ZDF), holiday dreams are shattered when Hadi (Stephan Grossmann, 50) has a vaccination breakthrough and falls ill with Corona. The whole family goes into quarantine in their multi-generational house – and Gundula (Andrea Sawatzki, 59) and Gerald (Axel Milberg, 66) have to cancel their long-awaited trip to the Maldives.

In an interview with spot on news, actress and “Bundschuh” inventor (since 2013) Andrea Sawatzki reveals whether her dream vacation destination is the Maldives, whether the Bundschuh family will continue and whether a multi-generational household, like that of the Bundschuhs, for she would also be an option privately.

“Family Bundschuh – Under Lock” was loosely based on your series of novels. How much say do you have and want to have?

Andrea Sawatzki: The suggestions are usually brought to me, the lockdown idea, for example, came from our producer Regina Ziegler. Of course, I have the rights to the characters and I’m also involved in script discussions towards the end. But in the end the films are quite different from the original idea.

Are you working on a new “Bundschuh” novel? When can fans expect it?

Sawatzki: I will probably have to write another novel, my readers insist on it and I am happy to accept this demand.

Her character dreams of a vacation in the Maldives in the new film. Would that also be your dream holiday destination or are you more drawn to somewhere else?

Sawatzki: No, our garden is enough for me. Or I go into the forest with the dogs. The difference to Gundula, however, is that neither Susanne nor Rose are lurking behind the trees in my reality… Gundula has to go further to be safe.

Due to the quarantine, Gundula Bundschuh simply drops everything and goes on vacation at home and away from her family. Could you imagine that too?

Sawatzki: Our boys have already moved out. But I could never have done it so radically. I’ve always been very there for my boys. Fortunately, my own family is also quite different from the Bundschuhs.

“The Bundschuh Family – Under Lock” is one of the first feature films to really address the corona pandemic and its lockdown effects. How was it under Corona conditions during the shooting and especially after the end of the shoot?

Sawatzki: I shot a few films during the hard Corona period, which only worked under the strictest security forces, tests every morning, bans on contact, etc. Of course it’s stressful when you’re not allowed to speak to the team members, because then a Corona officer jumps in and forbids contact despite testing. The team members kept changing because someone got hit, luckily actors weren’t affected during the shooting.

Did you also have to go through a quarantine at home privately? If yes, how did you pass the time?

Sawatzki: I was alone at home with the dogs when it hit me. That was okay. It’s just stupid that my new novel “Brunnenstrasse” had been published two days earlier and I had important appointments at lit.Cologne, among others [Literaturfestival, Red.] would have. That was a bad time for the illness – but the dogs were happy anyway.

The Bundschuhs now live in a multi-generational household. What do you personally think of it and would that also be an option for you?

Sawatzki: It wouldn’t be for me, I’m more of a loner. But I would take part in a week as a little mouse with a real Bundschuh family.

They again wear striking and intriguing attire in the film. How do you like your styling in the film?

Sawatzki: This style is perfect for Gundula. Gundula has no taste at all. For me personally, there would be nothing there.

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