When I came across the box of papers, I was shocked by the extent of Dad’s lies
Photograph: Mark Chilvers/The GuardianPhotograph: Mark Chilvers/The Guardianfter my dad, Peter, died in 2011, I found a box of papers and a photo album under his bed. That’s how I discovered he had a secret wife named Irene, and that he was 10 years older than he had said he was. Even his birthday was different. I found photos of his family and discovered he had 12 siblings he’d never told me about.
Mum encouraged me to express myself, to sing, dance and have a great time. Dad’s vibe couldn’t have been more different. He once told me: I don’t care if you love me, but you will respect me. His life was all about work, and he was obsessed with my education. I was interested in music growing up, but he wanted me to be a civil servant and never heard me sing. He didn’t speak about his past or where he came from.
Then came Covid. I was living in Berlin but was touring the UK as a backing singer with a band in March 2020, when flights and borders were suddenly closed. I couldn’t get back to Germany. I became jobless and homeless on the same day. A friend kindly put me up in her flat in Brixton, south London. Locked down, my thoughts drifted back to my dad. It was time to get some answers, so I started working on a documentary about it.
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