In 2007 enfant terrible Christoph Schlingensief was engage by the Bonn Opera to stage the world premiere of Moritz Eggert's opera "Freax" based on the film "Freaks" (1932) by Tod Browning from the story "Spurs"(1923) by Tod Robbins. Christoph Schlingensief did not like the libretto, which he read only the day before the first rehearsal, where Hannah Dübgen had changed the plot into a love story, which was not part of the original film. Christoph Schlingensief rejected the opera. The media storm was total. Despite this we the cast rehearsed with Christoph further, as he agreed to at least try to piece something together. After a few chaotic weeks, he decided to stop trying and wanted instead to make a film, which would be showed during the intermission of the opera, which would now be performed in a concert version with costumes.