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.
"Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" tells the story of Emmi, a lonely German widow, and Ali, a much younger Moroccan immigrant worker. They fall in love and get married, facing prejudice and social isolation from their families, neighbors, and community. The film explores their relationship amidst the backdrop of 1970s Germany. Through the film, you'll learn vocabulary related to everyday life, work, family relationships, and emotions, such as "Liebe" (love), "Angst" (fear), "Arbeit" (work), and "Familie" (family). You will also be exposed to conversational German used in different social settings. The film portrays themes of love, loneliness, racism, and cultural differences. The emotional depth of the story offers a chance to learn German related to expressing feelings and opinions. The language used ranges from simple everyday conversations to discussions about complex social issues. You'll encounter both formal and informal German, helping you understand the nuances of the language. The characters' emotional struggles are expressed through dialogue, giving learners valuable insight into expressing vulnerability and empathy in German. This movie is useful for German learners because it offers a realistic portrayal of German society and culture in the 1970s, including its social issues. The dialogue is relatively easy to follow, particularly as the film progresses. This helps learners gradually improve their comprehension skills. The film's focus on relationships and personal struggles provides an engaging context for learning vocabulary and grammar related to communication and expressing emotions. The repetitive use of certain phrases and vocabulary by Ali, due to his learning German, reinforces language acquisition for viewers.
Here are the first 15 of the more difficult words in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul:
