Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Angst essen Seele auf)

Happiness is not always fun.

FEAR EATS THE SOUL

Yes?

Excuse me,

but it's raining so hard outside,

and l thought, ''Emmi,

better get inside that bar.''

l pass by here every evening and hear that foreign music.

What language are they singing in?

Arabic.

Arabic. l see.

We have German stuff in the jukebox, too. Nearly half.

But, of course, they prefer the stuff from back home.

Of course.

What would you like to drink?

What ...

do people usually have?

All sorts of things. Whatever you like... cola or beer...

That sounds good, thanks.

What then? Beer or cola?

A cola, please.

She's nuts. Talks a blue streak.

Maybe she never gets a chance to talk otherwise.

Probably.

Well... are you coming or not? -No.

And why not? -Cock broken.

Forget it, then!

Another beer? -Sure.

Two beers.

How much?

For nine beers? -Yes, nine beers.

10 marks 80.

Keep the change! -Thanks.

Why don't you dance with the old girl?

Me dance with old woman?

Why not? Your legs aren't broken, are they?

What's up?

She says l should dance with old woman.

You dance with me?

What? Dance?

Yes. You sit alone. Sad. Not good sitting alone.

Why not?

lt must be all of 20 years since l last danced.

Maybe l can't anymore.

Don't matter! Dance very slow.

Turn the lights off!

Where are you from?

Little town in Morocco, Tismit.

Oh, Morocco!

Yes. Very nice, but no work.

You speak German well.

Been here long?

Two years. Much work.

Me, too.

Half of life consists of work.

You have no man? Married?

My husband died ages ago.

What do you do?

Work on cars. All day,

all time.

And you spend your evenings here?

Yes.

Good music,

Arab buddies...

Don't know other places.

Germans with Arabs not good.

Why?

Don't know.

Germans not same people as Arabs.

But at work surely...?

Not the same.

German master.

Arab dog.

But that... -Who cares?

Better not think too much.

Think much, cry much.

Here! -Thanks.

Like another drink?

No, thanks.

l have to get up early. l'd like to pay for the cola.

One mark. -Me pay cola.

Here!

Thanks a lot, but...

You talk good with Ali. Ali pay cola.

Your name's Ali?

Not Ali, but everyone says Ali.

Now l am Ali. -What's your real name?

El Hedi ben Salem M'Barek Mohammed Mustapha.

That's pretty long. -Yes. ln Tismit all names long.

l'm afraid l have to go now.

Goodbye. -Not goodbye.

l go home with you to door.

Not going alone...

better.

lf you like!

This awful rain!

Here we are.

This your house? -Yes.

You can wait here a minute.

Maybe the rain will stop.

Otherwise you'll catch cold, and it'll be my fault.

What work you do?

Well... you know...

Yes?

l don't like to say.

People always give you such a funny look.

Me not look funny.

No, not you.

Well...

l clean. l'm a cleaning lady.

ln big company?

Not too big, but there's a lot of glass.

lt's hard work.

There are four of us to clean eight floors.

We do two each,

one in the morning and one in the evening.

l'm free in between to do private jobs.

They're always looking for cleaners nowadays.

l never learned a proper trade.

You wouldn't believe some of the things that happen.

One employer sends for me in his Mercedes.

With a chauffeur!

Who am l to refuse?

He has a factory or something.

You should wear lighter-colored suits, Ali.

They'd look better on you.

Me? Light suits? Why?

lt's none of my business, but ...

dark clothes look so sad, don't they?

Don't know.

Maybe.

lt's good to talk with someone.

l'm alone most of the time.

All the time, really.

My children have their own lives.

You have many children?

Three...

two sons and a daughter. They're all married.

Where... other town?

No, here.

But they live their own lives.

We get together on special occasions, but...

With us in Morocco,

family always together.

Mama never alone.

Mama alone, not good.

Other countries have other customs.

l'll go see if the rain's stopped.

lt's still pouring.

Maybe... -Yes?

Why don't you come up for a while? l'll make us a coffee,

and maybe the rain will stop.

l'd like to, but...

People always say ''but''.

And nothing ever changes.

Come on up!

l've got a bottle of brandy.

A Christmas present from my oldest son.

You like brandy? -Brandy? Yes.

There you are.

lt's no fun drinking alone.

Good evening, Mrs. Kurowski!

l wanted to give you the 3 marks 50 ...

l owe you.

There ...

and thanks a lot.

Thanks. Goodnight!

Goodnight!

Come on up!

Mrs. Karges?

lmagine!

Mrs. Kurowski's got a foreigner up there.

What?

A black man? -A real black?

Well, not that black, but pretty dark.

She's not really German herself.

With a name like Kurowski!

What are things coming to?

l wonder what she's up to with him.

No idea. Maybe she's buying a carpet.

At 9:30 at night?

Who knows?

Goodnight, Mrs. Karges! -Goodnight.

Very good coffee.

My family says Emmi's coffee is enough to wake the dead.

Would you like a brandy with it?

Please.

My husband was Polish,

not German.

He was a foreign worker during the war.

He just stayed on afterwards.

My parents were still alive then.

They said, ''Emmi,

this'll come to no good.''

Because he was a foreigner,

you see?

Cheers! -Cheers!

My father hated all foreigners.

He was a party member. Hitler's party.

You know who Hitler was? -Hitler? Yes.