Wim Wenders

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Lore & Background

Wenders was born in Düsseldorf into a traditionally Catholic family. His father, Heinrich Wenders, was a surgeon. As a boy, he took unaccompanied trips to Amsterdam to visit the Rijksmuseum. He studied medicine at the University of Freiburg (1963–64) and philosophy at the University of Dusseldorf (1964–65), but dropped out and moved to Paris in October 1966 to become a painter. After failing his entry test at France's national film school, IDHEC, he became an engraver at Johnny Friedlaender's studio in Montparnasse. During this time he became fascinated with cinema, seeing up to five movies a day. He returned to Germany in 1967 to work in the Düsseldorf office of United Artists and entered the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF). Between 1967 and 1970, he also worked as a film critic for FilmKritik, the Munich daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, Twen magazine, and Der Spiegel. Wenders made his feature film debut with Summer in the City (1970), his graduation project shot in 16mm black-and-white by Robby Müller. He earned critical acclaim for directing the Road Movie trilogy: Alice in the Cities (1974), The Wrong Move (1975), and Kings of the Road (1976), the latter winning the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Direction and the Palme d'Or for Paris, Texas (1984) and the Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award for Wings of Desire (1987). His other notable films include The American Friend (1977), adapted from Patricia Highsmith's novel Ripley's Game, Faraway, So Close! (1993), and Perfect Days (2023). He has also directed numerous documentaries, including Buena Vista Social Club (1999), Pina (2011), and The Salt of the Earth (2014), each nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Reader's Guide

Wim Wenders is a central figure in New German Cinema, known for his distinctive road movies and contemplative, visually striking films. His work often explores themes of wandering, identity, and the search for meaning, as seen in his Road Movie trilogy and acclaimed films like Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire. Wenders has also made significant contributions to documentary filmmaking, earning three Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature. Beyond film, he is an active photographer, emphasizing images of desolate landscapes. He served as president of the European Film Academy from 1996 to 2020 and received an Honorary Golden Bear in 2015. His influence extends across narrative and documentary cinema, and his collaborations with cinematographer Robby Müller and writer Peter Handke have produced some of the most celebrated films of the late 20th century.

Did You Know?

• Wenders failed his entry test at France's national film school, IDHEC, before becoming an engraver at Johnny Friedlaender's studio in Montparnasse.
• As a boy, he took unaccompanied trips to Amsterdam to visit the Rijksmuseum.
• He saw up to five movies a day at the local movie theater while living in Paris.
• Wenders's film Kings of the Road (1976) won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.
• He received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video for Willie Nelson at the Teatro (1998).