Die Quelle

The BAWAG scandal, IBIZA, secret plan against Germany, the NSA affair: Behind all these scandals are sources, i.e. people who have given journalists sensitive information. Without sources, the revelations in the above-mentioned cases would probably never have happened: Without people who are willing to risk their jobs, their safety, even their lives.

Together with the investigative journalism platform DOSSIER, author and director Calle Fuhr now places a source at the centre of his new play. Over several months, Fuhr spoke with journalists from Austria and Germany to understand the mechanisms behind so-called whistleblowing and was even able to make personal contact with some of the sources. The resulting story is fictional – but full of allusions to real cases. This psychological thriller tells the story of how sources in corporations are suppressed, journalists persecuted and how sometimes, after all, the truth prevails.

Calle Fuhr explains in advance of the production how investigative research is brought to the stage:

The great thing is that there is no formula for this. The how does not come to me quietly at my desk, but in dialogue with DOSSIER. In recent years, we have found various approaches to giving investigative research a space on stage – each project was completely different. This is also the case now, when we focus in Die Quelle on whistleblowing and on the victims it can create.

 As part of Die Quelle, a dialogue at the factory entitled Defend the Truth will take place on April 25, 2026.

Calle Fuhr was born in Düsseldorf in 1994 and tells stories for the stage, radio, film and on Spotify. He trained as an assistant director in Düsseldorf, Prague and Vienna. For several years now, he has been devoting himself to complex topics, bringing them to the stage in an entertaining and understandable way. In addition to his work on the debt brake, he has created evenings on corruption in Austria's largest corporation, OMV, on the lignite company LEAG, and on the rise and fall of real estate magnate René Benko. His works have already been translated into several languages and shown at international festivals.

DOSSIER is an independent, non-profit Austrian media outlet for investigative and data-driven journalism, founded in 2012. It is characterised by intensive research, multi-media presentation and strict ethical standards – financed by its audience and collaborations, but without advertising or major sponsors. DOSSIER works independently, thoroughly, data-driven and ethically controlled. It is less about quick headlines and more about exposing structural problems in politics, business and society.