On the left is El Hedi ben Salem, the Moroccan actor who plays the title lead in the film "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul." On the right, is an unnamed chap offered up as man candy which I ran across somewhere on the internet. But of course this fellow caught my eye because of his uncanny resemblance to El Hedi ben Salem.
As you may or may not know, "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" is one of my favorite films. What I don't believe most people who've seen the film realize is that while on its surface the film is about xenophobia and racism, it's also a secret indictment of homophobia as well. The trials and tribulations of Ali and Emmi in the film, mirror equally the struggles of gay men and their relationships in the post-war era. El Hedi ben Salem was a gay man and in-fact was the lover of writer, producer, director and co-star, Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
El Hedi ben Salem and Rainer Werner Fassbinder
In subsequent films, Fassbinder would push the envelope of acceptability as he more overtly explored the dynamics of social acceptance of homosexuality in films like "Fox and His Friends" and "Querelle."
Sadly, El Hedi ben Salem, whose character "Ali," and whose trials in real life I identified with greatly, met a tragic end in 1977 when he hanged himself in prison. Nevertheless, he left us with the legacy of his performances and a cautionary tale about those who led the way in creating a new understanding of same gender loving people.
I smiled when I saw the model on the right above, because I thought to myself, although there are still those who seek to persecute gay men, this "young Ali" lives in a time when he can be free to be who he is.
"Fear Eats the Soul"
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