Wim Wenders
Encyclopedia
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (born 14 August 1945) is a German
film director
, playwright
, author
, photographer and producer
.
. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen
in the Ruhr area
. He then studied medicine
(1963–64) and philosophy
(1964–65) in Freiburg
and Düsseldorf
. However, he dropped out of university studies and moved to Paris
in October 1966 to become a painter. Wenders failed his entry test at France's national film school IDHEC (now La Fémis
), and instead became an engraver in the studio of Johnny Friedlander
, an American artist, in Montparnasse
. During this time, Wenders became fascinated with cinema, and saw up to five movies a day at the local movie theater.
Set on making his obsession also his life's work, Wenders returned to Germany in 1967 to work in the Düsseldorf office of United Artists
. That fall, he entered the "Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München" (University of Television and Film Munich
). Between 1967 and 1970 while at the "HFF", Wenders also worked as a film critic for FilmKritik, then the Munich daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung
, Twen magazine, and Der Spiegel
.
Wenders completed several short films before graduating from the Hochschule with a feature-length 16mm black and white film, Summer in the City
.
at the end of the 1960s, making his feature directorial debut with Summer in the City
(1970). Much of the distinctive cinematography
in his movies is the result of a highly productive long-term collaboration with Dutch cinematographer Robby Müller
. Some of his more successful and critically acclaimed movies, Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire
, for example, have been the result of fruitful collaborations with avant-garde authors Peter Handke
and Sam Shepard
. Handke's novel, The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick was adapted for Wenders' second feature film, The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty
. Handke co-wrote the script for Wings of Desire
and Until the End of the World
, both featuring Solveig Dommartin
.
Wenders has directed several highly acclaimed documentaries, most notably Buena Vista Social Club
(1999), about Cuban musicians, and The Soul of a Man (2003), on American blues.
He has also directed many music videos for groups such as U2
and Talking Heads
, including "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
" and "Sax and Violins
". His television commercials include a UK advertisement for Carling Premier
Canadian beer.
-.jpg)
Wenders' book, Emotion Pictures, a collection of diary essays written while a film student, was adapted and broadcast as a series of plays on BBC Radio 3, featuring Peter Capaldi as Wenders, with Gina McKee
, Saskia Reeves
, Dennis Hopper
, Harry Dean Stanton
and Ricky Tomlinson
, dramatised by Neil Cargill.
Wenders was collaborating with artist/journalist and longtime friend Melinda Camber Porter
on a documentary feature about his body of work, Wim Wenders - Visions on Film, when Porter passed away - the film remains incomplete.
Wenders is a member of the advisory board of World Cinema Foundation
. The project was founded by Martin Scorsese
and aimed at finding and reconstructing world cinema films that have been long neglected. He serves as a Jury Member for the digital studio Filmaka, a platform for undiscovered filmmakers to show their work to industry professionals.
In 2011 he was selected to stage the 2013 cycle of Richard Wagner's Ring der Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival, a reflection of his capacity to produce imaginative tributes to great works of art. The project fell through when he insisted on filming in 3-D
, which the Wagner family found too costly and disruptive.
Wim Wenders: Immagini dal pianeta terra, Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome, Italy
Journey to Onomichi – Photos by Wim and Donata Wenders, Omotesando Hills, Tokyo, Japan
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, images from touring exhibition, Salon of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Dark Places, curated by Joshua Decter, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2005
The Forest: Politics, Poetics, and Practice, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC
Through the Lens, group exhibition, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2004–05
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Århus
C, Denmark
2004
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, Australia and Japan, James Cohan
Gallery, New York, NY
Between The Lines, group exhibition, James Cohan Gallery
, New York, NY
Images of Time and Place: Contemporary Views of Landscape, group exhibition, Lehman College Art Gallery, Bronx, NY
Wim Wenders, Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy
Through the Lens: Eight Photographers, group exhibition, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland.
2003
Wim Wenders, James Cohan Gallery, New York, NY
Wim Wenders, Galerie Judin Belot, Zurich, Switzerland
2000–04
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, touring exhibition: Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2001), Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2002), Haunch of Venison, London (2003); Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2003); City Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand; Millennium
Art Museum, Beijing, China; Shanghai Museum of Art, Shanghai, China;
Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China (2004)
2000
Buena Vista Social Club, Rose Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
1996
Wim Wenders: Landscape and Memory, Gallery of Contemporary Photography, Santa Monica
Wim Wenders: Photos, in conjunction with the publication, Wim Wenders: Photos, Munich Goethe Institute (1996), Goethe Institutes worldwide
1995
Wim Wenders: Landscape and Memory, Gallery of Contemporary Photography, Santa Monica, CA
1993–95
Wim Wenders Photo Exhibition, in conjunction with the publication, Once, Munich: Schirmer/ Mosel (2001), touring exhibition: Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome (1993); Villa delle Rose, Bologna (1994); FNAC, Paris (1994); Parco, Tokyo (1994); FNAC, Berlin (1995); Villa Rufolo, Ravello (1995)
1989–94
Wim Wenders Photographs, touring exhibition: Galerie F. C Gundlach, Hamburg (1989); Galerie Marie-Louise Wirth, Zürich (1990); Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film, Munich (1991); Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles (1991); Shibuya Seibu Dept. Store, Tokyo (1992); Kiyomizu
1989–94
Temple, Kyoto (1992); Musée de L'Elysée, Lausanne (1992); Amerika Haus, Berlin (1992); Venice Biennale (1993); Louisiana Museum of
Modern Art, Humlebaek (1993); Sala Parpallo Palau Dels Scala, Valencia (1994); San Telmo Museum, San Sebastian (1994)
1986–92
Written in the West, in conjunction with the publication, Written in the West, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (1987), touring exhibition: Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1986); Encontros de Fotografia, Coimbra (1987); Palazzo della Triennale di Milano (1988); Film Society of Miami (1988); Goethe Institut, Stockholm (1988); Goethe Institut, Copenhagen (1988); Saint-Yrieix-La-Perche (1990); Städtische Galerie Schwarzes Kloster, Freiburg (Breisgau) (1992)
for The State of Things
at the Venice Film Festival
(1982
); the Palme d'Or
at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival
for his movie Paris, Texas
; and Best Direction for Wings of Desire
in the 1987 Bavarian Film Awards
and the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. In 1993 he won the Bavarian Film Awards
for Best Director for Faraway, So Close!
. In 2004, he received the Master of Cinema Award of the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
. He was awarded the Leopard of Honour
at the Locarno International Film Festival
in 2005.
He has been awarded honorary doctorates at the Sorbonne
in Paris in 1989 and at the Université Catholique de Louvain
, Belgium in 2005.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, photographer and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
Early life
Wenders was born in DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen
Oberhausen
Oberhausen is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen . The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It is also well known for the...
in the Ruhr area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
. He then studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
(1963–64) and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
(1964–65) in Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
and Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. However, he dropped out of university studies and moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in October 1966 to become a painter. Wenders failed his entry test at France's national film school IDHEC (now La Fémis
La Femis
La Fémis , is the French state film school. FEMIS is an acronym for Fondation Européenne pour les Métiers de l’Image et du Son. Based in Paris, it offers courses balanced between artistic research, professional development and technical training...
), and instead became an engraver in the studio of Johnny Friedlander
Johnny Friedlaender
Johnny Friedlaender was a leading 20th century artist, whose works have been exhibited in Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Japan and the United States. He has been influential upon other notable artists, who were students in his Paris gallery...
, an American artist, in Montparnasse
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
. During this time, Wenders became fascinated with cinema, and saw up to five movies a day at the local movie theater.
Set on making his obsession also his life's work, Wenders returned to Germany in 1967 to work in the Düsseldorf office of United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
. That fall, he entered the "Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München" (University of Television and Film Munich
University of Television and Film Munich
The University of Television and Film Munich is a publicly funded film school in Munich, Germany. The school was established in 1966 by decree of the Bavarian government. The University of Television and Film Munich is one of Germany's most reputable film schools with about 350 students enrolled...
). Between 1967 and 1970 while at the "HFF", Wenders also worked as a film critic for FilmKritik, then the Munich daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung
The Süddeutsche Zeitung , published in Munich, is the largest German national subscription daily newspaper.-Profile:The title literally translates as "South German Newspaper". It is read throughout Germany by 1.1 million readers daily and boasts a relatively high circulation abroad...
, Twen magazine, and Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
.
Wenders completed several short films before graduating from the Hochschule with a feature-length 16mm black and white film, Summer in the City
Summer in the City (film)
Summer in the City is the first full-length feature film by director Wim Wenders, released in 1970 and starring Hanns Zischler.Wenders' first full-length film was produced as his graduation project at the Academy of Film and Television in Munich which he attended from 1967 to 1970...
.
Career
Wenders began his career with the rise of the New German CinemaNew German Cinema
New German cinema is a period in German cinema which lasted from the late 1960s into the 1980s. It saw the emergence of a new generation of directors...
at the end of the 1960s, making his feature directorial debut with Summer in the City
Summer in the City (film)
Summer in the City is the first full-length feature film by director Wim Wenders, released in 1970 and starring Hanns Zischler.Wenders' first full-length film was produced as his graduation project at the Academy of Film and Television in Munich which he attended from 1967 to 1970...
(1970). Much of the distinctive cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
in his movies is the result of a highly productive long-term collaboration with Dutch cinematographer Robby Müller
Robby Müller
Robby Müller is a cinematographer whose name is most often associated with film director Wim Wenders.-Life and work:...
. Some of his more successful and critically acclaimed movies, Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
, for example, have been the result of fruitful collaborations with avant-garde authors Peter Handke
Peter Handke
Peter Handke is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright.-Early life:Handke and his mother lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948 before resettling in Griffen...
and Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
. Handke's novel, The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick was adapted for Wenders' second feature film, The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty
The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty
The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty is a 1972 German language drama film directed by Wim Wenders. It was adapted from a novella by Wenders' long-time collaborator Peter Handke.-Plot:...
. Handke co-wrote the script for Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
and Until the End of the World
Until the End of the World
Until the End of the World is a 1991 film by the German film director Wim Wenders; the screenplay was written by Wenders and Peter Carey, from a story by Wenders and Solveig Dommartin. An initial draft of the screenplay was written by American filmmaker Michael Almereyda...
, both featuring Solveig Dommartin
Solveig Dommartin
Solveig Dommartin was a French-German actress.Her acting career began in the theatre with "Compagnie Timothee Laine" and with the "Theater Labor Warschau". She had her first experiences with film as an assistant of Jacques Rozier.Her debut as a film actress was Wings of Desire under Wim Wenders...
.
Wenders has directed several highly acclaimed documentaries, most notably Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club (film)
Buena Vista Social Club is a documentary film by Wim Wenders about the music of Cuba. It is named for a danzón that became the title piece of the album Buena Vista Social Club.-Synopsis:...
(1999), about Cuban musicians, and The Soul of a Man (2003), on American blues.
He has also directed many music videos for groups such as U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, including "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
" and "Sax and Violins
Sax and Violins
"Sax and Violins" is a song by the rock band Talking Heads. It appears on the soundtrack for the film Until the End of the World. It was also released as a successful promo single and charted at number one on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart....
". His television commercials include a UK advertisement for Carling Premier
Carling O'Keefe
Carling O'Keefe originated from Canadian Breweries Limited which was the first brewing conglomerate in Canada and is now owned by Molson Coors Brewing Company.-Carling 1840-1930:...
Canadian beer.
Gina McKee
Georgina "Gina" McKee is an English actor known for her television roles in Our Friends in the North , The Lost Prince and The Forsyte Saga ; and her portrayal of Bella in the film Notting Hill ....
, Saskia Reeves
Saskia Reeves
Saskia Reeves is a British actress perhaps best known for her roles in the films Close My Eyes and ID , and the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune....
, Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton is an American actor, musician, and singer. Stanton's career has spanned over fifty years, which has seen him star in such films as Paris, Texas, Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, Alien, Repo Man, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild at Heart, The Green Mile and The Pledge...
and Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
, dramatised by Neil Cargill.
Wenders was collaborating with artist/journalist and longtime friend Melinda Camber Porter
Melinda Camber Porter
Melinda Camber Porter was an artist, author, poet, journalist and filmmaker. Porter was a modernist who worked in oils, watercolor and ink...
on a documentary feature about his body of work, Wim Wenders - Visions on Film, when Porter passed away - the film remains incomplete.
Wenders is a member of the advisory board of World Cinema Foundation
World Cinema Foundation
The World Cinema Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and restoration of neglected world cinema.It was founded in 2007, inspired by the work of The Film Foundation in the United States, a similar venture which Martin Scorsese founded with George Lucas, Stanley...
. The project was founded by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
and aimed at finding and reconstructing world cinema films that have been long neglected. He serves as a Jury Member for the digital studio Filmaka, a platform for undiscovered filmmakers to show their work to industry professionals.
In 2011 he was selected to stage the 2013 cycle of Richard Wagner's Ring der Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival, a reflection of his capacity to produce imaginative tributes to great works of art. The project fell through when he insisted on filming in 3-D
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
, which the Wagner family found too costly and disruptive.
Selected exhibitions
2006Wim Wenders: Immagini dal pianeta terra, Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome, Italy
Journey to Onomichi – Photos by Wim and Donata Wenders, Omotesando Hills, Tokyo, Japan
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, images from touring exhibition, Salon of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Dark Places, curated by Joshua Decter, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2005
The Forest: Politics, Poetics, and Practice, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC
Through the Lens, group exhibition, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2004–05
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Århus
C, Denmark
2004
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, Australia and Japan, James Cohan
Gallery, New York, NY
Between The Lines, group exhibition, James Cohan Gallery
James Cohan Gallery
The James Cohan Gallery is one of the prominent contemporary art galleries based in New York. Since 2008, it has also had premises in Shanghai.- History :...
, New York, NY
Images of Time and Place: Contemporary Views of Landscape, group exhibition, Lehman College Art Gallery, Bronx, NY
Wim Wenders, Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy
Through the Lens: Eight Photographers, group exhibition, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland.
2003
Wim Wenders, James Cohan Gallery, New York, NY
Wim Wenders, Galerie Judin Belot, Zurich, Switzerland
2000–04
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, touring exhibition: Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2001), Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2002), Haunch of Venison, London (2003); Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2003); City Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand; Millennium
Art Museum, Beijing, China; Shanghai Museum of Art, Shanghai, China;
Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China (2004)
2000
Buena Vista Social Club, Rose Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
1996
Wim Wenders: Landscape and Memory, Gallery of Contemporary Photography, Santa Monica
Wim Wenders: Photos, in conjunction with the publication, Wim Wenders: Photos, Munich Goethe Institute (1996), Goethe Institutes worldwide
1995
Wim Wenders: Landscape and Memory, Gallery of Contemporary Photography, Santa Monica, CA
1993–95
Wim Wenders Photo Exhibition, in conjunction with the publication, Once, Munich: Schirmer/ Mosel (2001), touring exhibition: Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome (1993); Villa delle Rose, Bologna (1994); FNAC, Paris (1994); Parco, Tokyo (1994); FNAC, Berlin (1995); Villa Rufolo, Ravello (1995)
Wim Wenders Photographs, touring exhibition: Galerie F. C Gundlach, Hamburg (1989); Galerie Marie-Louise Wirth, Zürich (1990); Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film, Munich (1991); Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles (1991); Shibuya Seibu Dept. Store, Tokyo (1992); Kiyomizu
1989–94
Temple, Kyoto (1992); Musée de L'Elysée, Lausanne (1992); Amerika Haus, Berlin (1992); Venice Biennale (1993); Louisiana Museum of
Modern Art, Humlebaek (1993); Sala Parpallo Palau Dels Scala, Valencia (1994); San Telmo Museum, San Sebastian (1994)
1986–92
Written in the West, in conjunction with the publication, Written in the West, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (1987), touring exhibition: Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1986); Encontros de Fotografia, Coimbra (1987); Palazzo della Triennale di Milano (1988); Film Society of Miami (1988); Goethe Institut, Stockholm (1988); Goethe Institut, Copenhagen (1988); Saint-Yrieix-La-Perche (1990); Städtische Galerie Schwarzes Kloster, Freiburg (Breisgau) (1992)
Legacy and honors
Wenders has already received many awards, including the Golden LionGolden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
for The State of Things
The State of Things (film)
The State of Things is a 1982 road movie directed by Wim Wenders. It tells the story of a film director travelling from Portugal to Los Angeles in search of his missing producer....
at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
(1982
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
); the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival
1984 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Dirk Bogarde *Franco Cristaldi *Michel Deville *Stanley Donen *Istvan Dosai *Arne Hestenes *Isabelle Huppert *Ennio Morricone...
for his movie Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas (film)
Paris, Texas is a 1984 drama film directed by Wim Wenders. The screenplay is by L.M. Kit Carson and playwright Sam Shepard, and the distinctive musical score was composed by Ry Cooder. The cinematography is by Robby Müller....
; and Best Direction for Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
in the 1987 Bavarian Film Awards
Bayerischer Filmpreis
The Bavarian Film Awards have been awarded annually since 1979 by the State Government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the most highly regarded awards for filmmaking achievement in Germany.The Bavarian Film...
and the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. In 1993 he won the Bavarian Film Awards
Bayerischer Filmpreis
The Bavarian Film Awards have been awarded annually since 1979 by the State Government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the most highly regarded awards for filmmaking achievement in Germany.The Bavarian Film...
for Best Director for Faraway, So Close!
Faraway, So Close!
Faraway, So Close! is a 1993 film by German director Wim Wenders. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire. Actors Otto Sander and Bruno Ganz reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars...
. In 2004, he received the Master of Cinema Award of the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival is an annual film festival held jointly by the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg in Baden-Württemberg. The festival was established in 1952. In Mannheim there are six cinema centres and 19 single cinemas.The festival presents arthouse films of...
. He was awarded the Leopard of Honour
Leopard of Honour
The Leopard of Honour is a life's work achievement award at the Locarno International Film Festival, an international film festival held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. The award has been given out since 1989 with an exception in 2001...
at the Locarno International Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
in 2005.
He has been awarded honorary doctorates at the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in Paris in 1989 and at the Université Catholique de Louvain
Université catholique de Louvain
The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
, Belgium in 2005.
Filmography
| Year | Title | German title | Summary |
| 1970 | Summer in the City Summer in the City (film) Summer in the City is the first full-length feature film by director Wim Wenders, released in 1970 and starring Hanns Zischler.Wenders' first full-length film was produced as his graduation project at the Academy of Film and Television in Munich which he attended from 1967 to 1970... |
First full length feature film (Dedicated to The Kinks The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a... ) |
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| 1972 | The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty is a 1972 German language drama film directed by Wim Wenders. It was adapted from a novella by Wenders' long-time collaborator Peter Handke.-Plot:... (UK) or The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (USA) |
Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter | Adaptation of a novel by Peter Handke Peter Handke Peter Handke is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright.-Early life:Handke and his mother lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948 before resettling in Griffen... |
| 1973 | The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter (1973 film) The Scarlet Letter is a 1973 German film directed by Wim Wenders. It is an adaptation of the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel The Scarlet Letter.The film stars Senta Berger as Hester Prynne, Hans Christian Blech as Roger Chillingworth, and Lou Castel as Rev... |
Der Scharlachrote Buchstabe | Adapted from the novel The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an... by Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials... |
| 1974 | Alice in the Cities Alice in the Cities Alice in the Cities is a 1974 German road movie directed by Wim Wenders. This was the first part of Wenders' "Road Movie Trilogy" which included The Wrong Move and Kings of the Road... |
Alice in den Städten | First part of Wenders' Road Movie Trilogy Road Movie Trilogy The Road Movie Trilogy is a series of three road movies directed by German film director Wim Wenders in the mid-1970s. They include Alice in the Cities , The Wrong Move , and Kings of the Road . All three films were shot by cinematographer Robby Müller and mostly take place in West Germany... |
| 1975 | The Wrong Move The Wrong Move The Wrong Move or Wrong Movement is a 1975 German road movie directed by Wim Wenders. This was the second part of Wenders' "Road Movie Trilogy" which included Alice in the Cities and Kings of the Road... |
Falsche Bewegung | Second part of Wenders' Road Movie Trilogy, with Nastassja Kinski |
| 1976 | Kings of the Road Kings of the Road Kings of the Road is a 1976 German road movie directed by Wim Wenders. It was the third part of Wenders' "Road Movie Trilogy" which included Alice in the Cities and The Wrong Move... |
Im Lauf der Zeit | Third part of Wenders' Road Movie Trilogy |
| 1977 | The American Friend The American Friend The American Friend is a 1977 film by Wim Wenders, loosely adapted from the novel Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith. The film is of the neo-noir genre, and features Dennis Hopper as career criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Zimmermann, a terminally ill picture framer whom Ripley... |
Der Amerikanische Freund | Adaptation of Patricia Highsmith Patricia Highsmith Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951... 's novel Ripley's Game Ripley's Game Ripley's Game is a psychological thriller by Patricia Highsmith, the third in her "Ripliad" series.-Plot summary:In the third Ripley novel, Tom Ripley is a wealthy man in his early thirties. He lives in Villeperce, France, with his French wife, Heloise... |
| 1980 | Lightning Over Water Lightning Over Water Lightning Over Water is a 1980 documentary film by Wim Wenders and Nicholas Ray about the last days of Ray's own life; the director was most famous for his 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause. It was screened out of competition at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.- Summary :The film is a collaboration... |
Documentary about the last days of Nicholas Ray Nicholas Ray Nicholas Ray was an American film director best known for the movie Rebel Without a Cause.... |
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| 1982 | Hammett | Fictional story about Dashiell Hammett Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on... , American writer; based on a novel by Joe Gores Joe Gores Joe Gores was an American mystery writer... |
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| 1982 | Room 666 Room 666 Room 666 is a 1982 documentary film directed by German film director Wim Wenders.During the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, Wenders set up a static camera in room 666 of the Hotel Martinez and provided selected film directors a list of questions to answer concerning the future of cinema. Each director... |
Chambre 666 | Short documentary interviews directors on the future of cinema, including Steven Spielberg Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an... , Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave".... , and Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making... . Filmed at Cannes |
| 1982 | Reverse Angle | Short film documents Wenders' disputes with Coppola Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors... during Hammett |
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| 1982 | The State of Things The State of Things (film) The State of Things is a 1982 road movie directed by Wim Wenders. It tells the story of a film director travelling from Portugal to Los Angeles in search of his missing producer.... |
Stand der Dinge | |
| 1984 | Paris, Texas Paris, Texas (film) Paris, Texas is a 1984 drama film directed by Wim Wenders. The screenplay is by L.M. Kit Carson and playwright Sam Shepard, and the distinctive musical score was composed by Ry Cooder. The cinematography is by Robby Müller.... |
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| 1985 | Tokyo-Ga Tokyo-Ga Tokyo-Ga is a 1985 documentary film directed by Wim Wenders ostensibly about filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. However, only two scenes actually focus on Ozu—one where Wenders interviews Ozu’s regular cinematographer, Yuharu Atsuta, and another where he interviews Ozu’s favorite actor, Chishu Ryu. The rest... |
Documentary about Japanese film director Yasujiro Ozu Yasujiro Ozu was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work... |
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| 1987 | Wings of Desire Wings of Desire Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress... |
Der Himmel über Berlin | Written with Peter Handke Peter Handke Peter Handke is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright.-Early life:Handke and his mother lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948 before resettling in Griffen... |
| 1989 | Notebook on Cities and Clothes Notebook on Cities and Clothes Notebook on Cities and Clothes is a documentary film about Yohji Yamamoto directed by Wim Wenders.- External links :*... |
Aufzeichnungen zu Kleidern und Städten | Documentary about Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto Yohji Yamamoto Yōji Yamamoto , is an award winning Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. Yohji is considered to be among the master tailors whose work is thought to be of fashion genius and he has been described by Julie Gilhart, fashion director for Barney's New York as probably the only designer... . |
| 1990 | Red Hot + Blue Red Hot + Blue Red Hot + Blue is the first in the series of compilation albums from the Red Hot Organization. The recording was the first in the Red Hot Benefit Series... |
Music video for "Night and Day Night and Day (song) "Night and Day" is a popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. It is perhaps Porter's most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of artists.... " performed by U2 U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music... |
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| 1991 | Until the End of the World Until the End of the World Until the End of the World is a 1991 film by the German film director Wim Wenders; the screenplay was written by Wenders and Peter Carey, from a story by Wenders and Solveig Dommartin. An initial draft of the screenplay was written by American filmmaker Michael Almereyda... |
Bis ans Ende der Welt | |
| 1992 | Arisha, the Bear and the Stone Ring | Arisha, der Bär und der steinerne Ring | |
| 1993 | Faraway, So Close! Faraway, So Close! Faraway, So Close! is a 1993 film by German director Wim Wenders. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire. Actors Otto Sander and Bruno Ganz reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars... |
In weiter Ferne, so nah! | Sequel to Wings of Desire Wings of Desire Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress... |
| 1994 | Lisbon Story | Partially a sequel to The State of Things The State of Things (film) The State of Things is a 1982 road movie directed by Wim Wenders. It tells the story of a film director travelling from Portugal to Los Angeles in search of his missing producer.... |
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| 1995 | Beyond the Clouds Beyond the Clouds (1995 film) Beyond the Clouds is a 1995 Italian-French-German film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders.- Plot :Four stories of love and illusion are told from the perspective of a wandering film director. In the first story, two beautiful young lovers are unable to consummate their passion... |
Jenseits der Wolken | (with Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :... ) |
| 1995 | A Trick of Light A Trick of Light A Trick of Light is a 1995 German film directed by Wim Wenders. Its original German title is Die Gebrüder Skladanowsky, the film made with the students of the Munich Film Academy is a combination of docudrama, fictional reenactment, and experimental photography to show the birth of cinema in Berlin... |
Die Gebrüder Skladanowsky | Also known as The Brothers Skladanowsky |
| 1997 | The End of Violence The End of Violence The End of Violence is a 1997 film by the German director Wim Wenders. The film's cast includes Bill Pullman, Gabriel Byrne, Traci Lind, Rosalind Chao, Andie MacDowell, and Loren Dean, among others. It also features a soundtrack marked with the signature sounds of Wenders regulars Jon Hassell, Ry... |
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| 1998 | Willie Nelson at the Teatro | ||
| 1999 | Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club (film) Buena Vista Social Club is a documentary film by Wim Wenders about the music of Cuba. It is named for a danzón that became the title piece of the album Buena Vista Social Club.-Synopsis:... |
Documentary about Cuban musicians; made with Ry Cooder Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing... |
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| 2000 | The Million Dollar Hotel The Million Dollar Hotel The Million Dollar Hotel is a 2000 American drama film based on a concept story by Bono and Nicholas Klein; directed by Wim Wenders; and starring Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, and Mel Gibson... |
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| 2001 | Souljacker Part 1 Souljacker Part 1 "Souljacker part I" is a song released by American rock band, Eels. This was the only single released from their 2001 album, Souljacker. It reached number thirty on the UK Singles Chart.... |
Music Video for "Souljacker Pt 1" by Eels | |
| 2002 | Ode to Cologne: A Rock 'N' Roll Film | Viel passiert - Der BAP-Film | Documentary about the Cologne rock group BAP |
| 2002 | Ten Minutes Older Ten Minutes Older Ten Minutes Older is a 2002 film project consisting of two compilation feature films titled The Trumpet and The Cello. The project was conceived by the producer Nicolas McClintock as a reflection on the theme of time at the turn of the Millennium. Fifteen celebrated film-makers were invited to... |
Contributed segment "Twelve Miles to Trona" | |
| 2003 | The Soul of a Man | Documentary about Blues musicians | |
| 2004 | Land of Plenty Land of Plenty (2004 film) Land of Plenty is a 2004 drama film directed by Wim Wenders starring Michelle Williams and John Diehl. The title of the film comes from the song "The Land of Plenty", written by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson, which was used in the movie.-Plot:... |
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| 2005 | Don't Come Knocking Don't Come Knocking Don't Come Knocking is a 2005 film, a comedy-drama road movie directed by German director Wim Wenders and written by Wenders and actor/playwright Sam Shepard. The two had previously collaborated on the film Paris, Texas... |
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| 2008 | Palermo Shooting Palermo Shooting Palermo Shooting is a film written and directed by German director Wim Wenders, and starring Campino, Dennis Hopper, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Lou Reed as himself, and an uncredited Milla Jovovich, also playing herself. The film was released in Germany on 20 November 2008. The film had its U.S... |
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| 2011 | Pina Pina (film) Pina is a 2011 German 3D dance film directed by Wim Wenders. The film premiered Out of Competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. The trailer features the song "Lilies in the Valley" by Jun Miyake... |
Premiered Out of Competition at the Berlin Film Festival 61st Berlin International Film Festival The 61st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 10 to February 20, 2011, with actress Isabella Rossellini as the President of the Jury. The Coen Brothers film True Grit opened the festival. 300,000 tickets were sold in total during the event, to 20,000 attendees from 116... . |
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Quotes
- "Sex and violence was never really my cup of tea; I was always more into sax and violins."
- "I consider OzuYasujiro Ozuwas a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
my all time grand master." - "I want to make personal films, not private films."
External links
- Official website
- Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database
- filmportal.de including biography, filmography and photos
- Wenders Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)
- Wim Wenders Interview (portuguese subtitles; Flash/HTML5)
- Interview with Wim Wenders (in three parts; Flash/HTML5)
- Interview with Wim Wenders
- CNN interview with Wim Wenders
- Wim Wenders's Cinématon - A 4 minutes portrait by Gérard Courant (1982) (Flash)