Senta Berger: She wanted to celebrate her wedding anniversary at the Oktoberfest

Senta Berger
She wanted to celebrate her wedding anniversary at the Oktoberfest

Actress Senta Berger can be seen in “At his side” as the conductor’s wife Charlotte Kler.

© ZDF / Hendrik Heiden

Senta Berger starts the birthday week with a new film. In an interview, she talks about her own important life decisions.

Actress Senta Berger celebrates her 80th birthday on May 13th. On the occasion of their special day, ZDF will show the film “At his side” on Monday (May 10th, 8:15 pm). The native Viennese can be seen in it as Charlotte Kler (Senta Berger), who traveled the world with her husband, the conductor Walter Kler (Peter Simonischek, 74). After their last stay in Tokyo, they both agreed to go back to Munich in order to spend more time with their daughter and granddaughter in the future. But things turn out differently and Charlotte begins to question her life …

In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Senta Berger talks about her own life choices, the plans for her 55th wedding anniversary with director Michael Verhoeven (82, “The Terrible Girl”) and about the “good” and “bad” solutions that she has Family has already found or suffered in dealing with Corona.

The film “At his side” will be broadcast shortly before your 80th birthday. Why is it particularly suitable for this occasion?

Senta Berger: “At his side” was not intended as a birthday film. That was the result of the appointments of my much sought-after partners. We couldn’t shoot earlier than late autumn and the ZDF then chose a day close to my birthday as the broadcast date in spring. It’s a delicate film, an “adult” film that goes very well with my very adult birthday.

You can be seen in the film together with Peter Simonischek and Thomas Thieme. Which male actor would you like to play with whom you have never been in front of the camera?

Berger: I met Klaus Maria Brandauer many years ago [77, “Jenseits von Afrika”] played theater in Vienna. I would love to work with him in front of the camera.

You have a lot of close-ups on the film and you look great. How important is appearance to you in general?

Berger: Thank you for the compliment. I think looks are important, neglecting yourself is usually a sign of low self-esteem. If you don’t take care of yourself, neither will others.

The film tells the story of a woman who, for the sake of her husband and his career, made various life decisions that she now questions. Why is she struggling with it now?

Berger: At Charlotte’s age, youth comes very close again. She reconsiders her life and also which life she may have missed. I don’t think Charlotte regrets having given up her own possible career to support the more gifted of the two of them, her husband. But it pains her to get so little attention from him, so little respect and love.

Is there a life decision of your own that you are questioning today and would make differently from today’s perspective?

Berger: I moved to Munich for my husband’s sake. And as gracious as the people of Munich have always met me and as much as I fell in love with the Bavarian countryside, I regret not living in Vienna, which is still my home town.

The film is also about the fact that a long-time married couple can lose sight of each other. Do you and your husband still have a special wedding anniversary?

Berger: We wanted to celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary this year at the Wiesn, at the Oktoberfest. 55 years ago we celebrated our hen party there in the Schottenhamel tent. Our families and our friends were there. It was wonderful. The music didn’t have these creepy amplifiers yet, we danced on the gallery, but you could really talk without having to yell at yourself. Michael shot me a heart and a red rose. I still have them. And then we went on a roller coaster – as a foretaste of later life. Will Corona let us celebrate again like back then?

Charlotte doesn’t know her granddaughter very well. Could that happen to you too, or do you have the chance to be closer to your grandchildren?

Berger: We don’t live far apart and we are all still very connected. I see my grandchildren regularly and I know quite a bit about their lives.

Corona brings new challenges in this context. What solution did you find in your family for this?

Berger: We have a big garden in which we can all see each other if the weather just kind of allows it. This is a good solution. We already have a bad solution behind us. Half the family had been infected with Covid by my husband – we all got through it more or less well – and were able to see each other reasonably safe afterwards.

Your birthday is on May 13th. How are you going to spend the day?

Berger: We’ll see what Corona allows. But we will celebrate in a small group, family, friends and hopefully under a bright May sun – as it should be for a May child.

What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?

Berger: I let life come to me. I don’t make plans and I enjoy not having to make any.

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