Principal cast
Brigitte Mira as Emmi Kurowski, El Hedi ben Salem as Ali, Irm Hermann as Krista, Barbara Valentin as Barbara, and Elma Karlowa as Mrs. Kargus
Film 136 of 244 on the Screen Path
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
About the film
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1974 film at stop 136 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
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.
Key craft credits
Jürgen Jürges (director of photography), Thea Eymèsz (editor), and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (original music composer)
- Director
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Release
- 1974-03-05
- Runtime
- 93 minutes
- Genres
- Romance and Drama
- Country
- Germany
- Quiz
- 20 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 20 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
20 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
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