Hansel and Greta
A European Labor Leasing Fairy Tale
/ 2014

In unitedOFFproductions version, Hansel and Greta are ‚European siblings‘, who, like in the fairy tale, are sent by their parents to an unknown world far away from the financial need of their homelands. They are supposed to get in charge of their own lives, so each one sets out from Rumania and Greece. Appealed by the promising proposals of shady work intermediaries and subcontractors, both land as cheap labor in a gigantic German slaughterhouse. The exploitative conditions of this ‘witch house’ shock them. But they won’t let them get them down. Soon they make a plan to resist the unacceptable injustices and evil chicaneries of supervisors and managers…

‚Hansel and Greta‘ by unitedOFFproductions brings into focus the life and labor (leasing) conditions of todays migrant workers, who are frequently exposed to slavish employment relationships in Germany. Through the subject of the industrial meat production we question our consumption and food habits. Where does our daily meat come from and which are the conditions of its production? Why are cheap products so cheap? How do the global implications of factory farming look like? And: What can be done to change things that seem hopeless?Lucky enough to be able to work quickly in their proffesion, most of them have to deal with short-term jobs or poorly paid internships. Many of them miss friends and family, but hardly one regrets the departure. Everyone sees the European right of abode as an opportunity to move forward and gain new experiences, and maybe later return to their country, their city, and bring back something of these new experiences, as a motivation or contribution to the future.