Ali: Fear Eats the Soul

I think that’s why Fassbinder, after Sirk, became such a pivotal figure for me, and films like Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) showed what a different kind of critical melodrama could be, and how it could take a critical stance from within the genre, as opposed to from without.

Fassbinder is very important for me. He was able to combine social analysis with strong emotions. *Ali: Fear Eats the Soul* is a masterpiece. I think it influenced my desire to make films that touch on political issues through personal stories.

And then, of course, there’s Fassbinder, who’s my favorite European director from the 70s. I think he took melodrama further than anyone, and he did it in a very specific way, very German, very cold. I love 'Ali: Fear Eats the Soul'.

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Barry Jenkins has cited Claire Denis's Beau Travail as a foundational influence, the film that showed him how to use the body, light, and music as primary storytelling tools rather than dialogue. Moonlight's fragmented structure, its use of color as emotion, its willingness to let silence carry meaning, these are lessons from Denis and Wong Kar-wai. Beau Travail is streaming on Criterion Channel and is one of the most beautiful films ever made.