House of Creations

The second world premiere of the new 2023-24 season too reflects La Monnaie's commitment. Ali is based on the true story of Ali Abdi Omar. The boy is 12 when he tries to escape terror in his homeland Somalia. He travels the dangerous road from the Horn of Africa to the heart of Europe, crossing several countries, a desert and the Mediterranean along with hundreds of migrants seeking a better future. Along the way, friendships are made despite the hardships and hope is found amidst the horror. He arrives at the Brussels South railway station in 2019, alone, without knowing a word of French or Dutch. He is 14 years old …  

This incredible epic is the true story of Ali Abdi Omar, adapted for the opera by composer and multimedia artist Grey Filastine and director Ricard Soler Mallol. Developed in collaboration with Ali himself, this moving creation reconstructs all the stages of his journey. A sensory experience where electronic music, voice, string and wind instruments, percussion and dance pay a vibrant tribute to the resilience of a young boy forced, like so many others, to leave his family and home in order to survive.