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Ludwig Trepte (33) has spent countless Sundays on the sofa with his two children (a daughter 10, a son 3), eating homemade popcorn and watching the cartoon series “Laura’s Star”.
So it was a matter of honor to take on the role of father for his children in the real-life adaptation of Klaus Baumgart’s children’s book. The film can now be seen in the cinema (2G plus, usually with a distance or mask).
BZ met Ludwig Trepte for a chat in a small café in Pankow.
Mr. Trepte, what do you like about the story?
“Laura’s Star” is a modern fairy tale about a young girl who moves to the city with her parents and has to find herself again there because she was torn from her home and her friends. The star she finds is just as homeless. He’s missing a spike and she can identify with the pain. That’s a nice metaphor, once again in the present day.
What do you mean?
During the lockdown, many children were often alone. So what’s it like to be without friends? Children can identify with this. As I read the script, I also realized that modern family models are being played with. It is the mother who has to move out of the village due to work and it is the father who stays at home. I think that’s very clever and gives it an interesting facet.
Could you imagine such a family model for yourself?
I have respect for my wife, for all women, because it is an incredible amount of work and you have to give up a lot of yourself to be there for someone else. I support my wife where I can, but I’m more of the active type. I need action and I hate standing still.
Standstill?
In times of lockdown, that’s devastating for me. I couldn’t go to the swimming pool and was limited to building Lego or Playmobil games. I had to learn that first. Of course, this further strengthened the family bond. In an extreme situation, when you sit on top of each other for 24 hours, you have come closer to each other. Ultimately, as a family, we even got through the lockdown extremely well.
How did you explain what a lockdown is to your kids?
It feels difficult as a parent to want to convey that to the children. Why are people suddenly wearing a mask? You had to take away their fear. Children have noticed that adults who are actually authoritarian are powerless in the face of a situation. What kind of image does that make of children of us adults?
What picture does it take?
They see us all fail, doubt, divide. Those who are supposed to protect children suddenly lose the ground under their feet. Instead of giving stability, you were overwhelmed yourself. I did homework with them. I’m not at all good as a teacher. Tears flowed because I was faced with a situation that felt like a board that I am running against. But somehow we managed to do it.
How important is Christmas to you?
Christmas is not at all important to me personally, but it is in the family circle. Because it is important to my children and I would like to give them this space. Of course, that makes it nice for me too.
Do you celebrate in a classic way with a Christmas tree and lots of gifts?
Oh god, I don’t even know if I can say that, but of course we have a real tree. But plastic is not good either. We will make roulades and there will definitely be more than two presents for each child. I also really enjoy giving gifts. It doesn’t have to be expensive and can also be something homemade.
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Homemade?
For example, my daughter would like a recipe book. I will not buy this, but write it myself by combining all the recipes that I know and like into a book that I will then give her as a present.
Have you ever considered moving?
Certainly, very much. You don’t have to stay in one place. The question is, where do you want to die, and I don’t know yet. For me, urban living has nothing to do with home. Home has something to do with taste. When I come home and eat mustard eggs, it reminds me of home because my mother used to cook it.
You also said you didn’t know where to die yet. Are you already dealing with it?
Death is something you don’t plan. It is part of life, which I only noticed in the last few years because a few died in my vicinity. It is so important to plan this to prevent it from happening lonely and alone. One should see to it that it is organized in such a way that dying happens at least peacefully.
How did your father’s death affect you last year?
It struck me extremely that there will never be another person who will be so happy for me, who will love me so unconditionally for who I am. I notice that even with my children. When my daughter has a sense of achievement, I am so incredibly happy too. I miss that, also our conversations, the warmth and just the hug. I still smell it. On the other hand, I developed a different feeling of freedom. I no longer have to pay attention to his concerns and could actually say that I am moving to New York or Spain with my family. There is no one left waiting for me or mourning me.
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