3 Tage Leben - der Alltagstest für Politiker (ZDF)

Writer and Director: Michael Funken, Marcus Fischötter, Ulrike Brödermann

Producer: Brigitta Schübeler

Production: Ulrike Römhild

Line producer: Anke Meyer

Executive Producer: Hartmut Klenke

Locations: : Berlin, Essen, Hamburg

Broadcast:
ZDF

Length: 3 x 30’

 

Content:

Three politicians go back to the "grass roots." 72 hours of being up close, getting to know life on the "outside," and testing their own political convictions in the real world. For three days they will leave their political work and slip into the rolls of everyday citizens.

Jürgen Rüttgers, CDU-politician and top candidate for the federal state parliament in North Rein Westphalia, takes over the roll of a teacher who is also the single mother of five children. How will he manage the minimal household budget? Will he be able to discipline the children – those at home and those in school?
Ute Vogt, secretary in the ministry of the interior and regional boss of the SPD in Baden-Württemberg, tries to replace an employee at the "Berliner Tafel," a charitable organization which provides meals for the poor, for three days: collecting food donations and distributing them to the needy, helping out in the kitchen of the children’s restaurant, and acquiring new donors. At home, in a two-room apartment, an 18-month-old son is waiting for her - an unusual daily routine for the childless career politician.

Antje Hermenau of the Green party left her job as parliamentary chairman in Saxony. She tried to replace the boss of a child model agency instead: looking after clients, casting children, styling and accompanying them to photo shootings, and making set cards. She spends the evenings with her "husband," a successful music producer, and his daughter.

We accompanied the politicians on their excursions in to real life and observed how they managed in these situations which were unusual for them. That wasn’t always so easy – but always surprising and exciting!