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It is 40 years since Günter Wallraff published his undercover report “The Lowest of the Low” that
revealed the lives of those living in the margins of society – migrants whose everyday lives are filled with insecurity and injustice. It centres around a German journalist, who goes undercover as “Ali Sinirlioğlu” to explore the shadowy world of the labour market and mercilessly exposes its depths. At the time Wallraff wrote in the foreword to his book: “Of course, I wasn’t really a Turk. But you need to disguise yourself to be able to unmask society, you have to deceive and pretend to be able to discover the truth. I still don’t know how a foreigner can live with the daily humiliations, hostilities and hatred. But I do know now what he has to put up with and how far contempt for human beings can go in this country.” Now a remarkable documentary opera has been created for Kunstfest Weimar in an international co-production that confronts the audience with persistently topical issues such as exploitation, alienation, identity and the constant striving for dignity in a working world that is often inhumane. The music has been written by the renowned Turkish fusion composer and pianist Sabri Tuluğ Tırpan. The libretto and direction are by Mehmet Ergen, an internationally active director and theatre maker based in both London and Istanbul, whose works are known for their powerful expression and social relevance. Following the world premiere in Weimar, the production will tour internationally, with performances in the Netherlands, London and Turkey.