Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Angst essen Seele auf
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
AFS Presents: Ali: Fear Eats The SoulOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2018-07-03
Top Cast
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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
Hark Bohm
Doctor
Kurt Raab
Car Mechanic
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
October 31, 1974
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$130K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$187K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.44x
+$57K net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Screenplay & Story
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Original Score
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Original Title
- Angst essen Seele auf
- Country of Origin
- Germany
- Spoken Languages
- Arabic, German
- Runtime
- 1h 33m
- Production Budget
- $130K
- Worldwide Gross
- $187K
- Production Studios
- Tango Film, Filmverlag der Autoren
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Jürgen Jürges
Thea Eymèsz
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Department Leadership Roster
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Director
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Producer
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Original Music Composer
Jürgen Jürges
Director of Photography
Thea Eymèsz
Editor
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Production Design
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
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S&S Directors - Greatest Films
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TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:33:14 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
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 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.
Who directed Ali: Fear Eats the Soul?
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul was directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Who stars in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul?
The principal cast of Ali: Fear Eats the Soul includes Brigitte Mira, El Hedi ben Salem, Irm Hermann, Barbara Valentin, Elma Karlowa.
When was Ali: Fear Eats the Soul released and how long is it?
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul was released in 1974 with a total runtime of 1h 33m.
What was the box office and production budget of Ali: Fear Eats the Soul?
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul had a reported production budget of $130K and grossed $187K at the worldwide box office (1.44 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Ali: Fear Eats the Soul?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Ali: Fear Eats the Soul was composed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Ali: Fear Eats the Soul?
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: TP; US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).