Wim Wenders at 80: Celebrating Master of European Cinema
On August 14, Wim Wenders — the most powerful voice of the New German Cinema — turns 80. His career spans over half a century, from the cultural revolution of the 1970s to his recent acclaimed film Perfect Days (2023), which earned public and critical praise at Cannes, CE Report quotes ANSA.
Born in Düsseldorf in 1945, just two months after Nazi Germany's fall, Wenders grew up in a Catholic household and initially pursued medicine and philosophy before abandoning his studies for cinema. In 1966, he moved to Paris, immersed himself in film at the Cinémathèque Française, and eventually returned to Germany to study at the Munich Film School.
His early short films (1967–1970), mentorship under Alexander Kluge, and collaborations with Peter Handke marked him as a rising star in the New German Cinema. With films like The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty, Alice in the Cities, and Kings of the Road, he became a key figure in European auteur cinema.
Wenders ventured into Hollywood with mixed results (Hammett, Nick’s Movie), but found global success with Paris, Texas (Palme d'Or, 1984) and Wings of Desire (1987). His passion for music and photography permeates his work — from Buena Vista Social Club to The Salt of the Earth and the 3D dance doc Pina.
Now more focused on documentaries and photography, Wenders continues to surprise. In 2023, a Tokyo toilet commission led to Perfect Days, a poetic film inspired by Yasujirō Ozu, hailed as one of his greatest works.
Throughout his career, Wenders has also collaborated with Michelangelo Antonioni, helped establish the European Film Academy, and published influential essays on cinema, such as The Act of Seeing.
