'My Name Is Not Ali' is the very sad and bizarre story of one of Fassbinder's most recognisable stars, the mysterious, gentle-hearted Moroccan immigrant of 'Fear Eats the Soul', El Hedi ben Salem.
This documentary is both moving and confusing, we never really get to find out who the real Salem was or understand what motivated him, but it seems like no one in his real life did either. The mystery of his suicide in a French prison seems to be cleared up, at least, as apparently instead he died of a heart attack when playing football with other inmates.
While both actor and director were dead before they reached 45, the real victims of the romantic and artistic collaboration between El Hedi ben Salem and Rainer Werner Fassbinder were Salem's children, who were uprooted from their basic but happy lives in Morocco to be thrust into Fassbinder's dangerous and alien fast-living world of cocaine, controversial filmmaking and emotional chaos, and their participation in the documentary makes for the most gripping interviews.
Possibly because his aura of mystery was so powerful, one of Salem's sons even believes that he never died and is still alive somewhere today, with a new family.
This documentary is both moving and confusing, we never really get to find out who the real Salem was or understand what motivated him, but it seems like no one in his real life did either. The mystery of his suicide in a French prison seems to be cleared up, at least, as apparently instead he died of a heart attack when playing football with other inmates.
While both actor and director were dead before they reached 45, the real victims of the romantic and artistic collaboration between El Hedi ben Salem and Rainer Werner Fassbinder were Salem's children, who were uprooted from their basic but happy lives in Morocco to be thrust into Fassbinder's dangerous and alien fast-living world of cocaine, controversial filmmaking and emotional chaos, and their participation in the documentary makes for the most gripping interviews.
Possibly because his aura of mystery was so powerful, one of Salem's sons even believes that he never died and is still alive somewhere today, with a new family.
