Opera tells story of German journalist who posed as migrant worker for two years

Opera tells story of German journalist who posed as migrant worker for two years

Docu-opera explores encounters and ethics of Günter Wallraff’s undercover work in 1980s, which he now describes as an existential necessity Few people have done more to change the way postwar Germany looks at itself than Levent “Ali” Sigirlioğlu. A 1985 bestselling book detailing the inhumane working conditions and everyday racism that the 26-year-old Turkish migrant worker endured at Ruhr valley steel plants, asbestos-infested building sites and fast-food restaurants was the first to expose the dark underbelly of a booming postwar economic revival. The only catch is that “Ali” was not a young Turk at all, but a then 43-year-old white German. Continue reading...