The original title of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1974 film "Fear Eats the Soul" is deliberately ungrammatical German: ANGST ESSEN SEELE AUF "Fear Eat Soul". That is due to one of the two protagonists we meet: Ali (El Hedi ben Salem) is a Moroccan immigrant working in Munich. He toils as a car repairman and has learned some very basic German, but he has been hindered from assimilating to German and fully learning the…
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
Emmi Kurowski, a cleaning lady, is lonely in her old age. Her husband died years ago, and her grown children offer little companionship. One night she goes to a bar frequented by Arab immigrants and strikes up a friendship with middle-aged mechanic Ali. Their relationship soon develops into something more, and Emmi's family and neighbors criticize their spontaneous marriage. Soon Emmi and Ali are forced to confront their own insecurities about their future.
Top Cast
Brigitte Mira
Emmi Kurowski
El Hedi ben Salem
Ali
Irm Hermann
Krista
Barbara Valentin
Barbara
Elma Karlowa
Mrs. Kargus
Anita Bucher
Mrs. Ellis
Gusti Kreissl
Paula
Doris Mattes
Mrs. Angermayer
Margit Symo
Hedwig
Katharina Herberg
Bardame
Lilo Pempeit
Mrs. Munchmeyer
Walter Sedlmayr
Mr. Angermayer
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Eugen
Karl Scheydt
Albert
Peter Gauhe
Bruno
Marquard Bohm
Gruber
Reviews
Does anyone remember when Channel 4 (in the UK) had their Friday night red triangle zone of late night adult films that would probably have been X-certificate but that were available free-to-air? I think this is probably the only one of those I still recall as it memorably challenges just about every stereotype in the dictionary. The elderly and widowed “Emmi” (Brigitte Mara) meets the handsome and younger “Ali” (El…
FAQ about Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
What is Ali: Fear Eats the Soul about?
Emmi Kurowski, a cleaning lady, is lonely in her old age. Her husband died years ago, and her grown children offer little companionship. One night she goes to a bar frequented by Arab immigrants and strikes up a friendship with middle-aged mechanic Ali. Their relationship soon…
When was Ali: Fear Eats the Soul released?
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul was released in 1974.
What genres does Ali: Fear Eats the Soul belong to?
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is categorised as Romance, Drama.
Who stars in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul?
The cast of Ali: Fear Eats the Soul includes Brigitte Mira, El Hedi ben Salem, Irm Hermann, Barbara Valentin, Elma Karlowa.