Wim Wenders Sets First-Ever India Tour With Career Retrospective (EXCLUSIVE)

by

The Film Heritage Foundation is presenting a tour titled “Wim Wenders – King of the Road” in India, which marks the renowned German filmmaker’s inaugural visit to our country at the age of 79. This retrospective, coordinated with the Wim Wenders Foundation and Goethe-Institut Mumbai, will exhibit 18 of his films across five cities from February 5th to the 23rd.

This comprehensive program encompasses Wenders’ five-decade-long journey, showcasing works from his beginnings in New German Cinema to his most recent creations. The tour includes restored versions of both features and documentaries as well as shorts. Cities involved in the tour are Mumbai, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, and New Delhi. Wenders himself will be present at screenings, engaging in question-and-answer sessions with audiences and film students.

Wenders found it surprising during his worldwide journeys that India appeared to have disappeared from the world map, not merely due to its rich diversity of landscapes and visuals, but primarily because in India, cinema holds such a sacred significance, akin to a religious practice.

The lineup showcases several of Wenders’ celebrated films such as “Paris, Texas” (1984), which won him a Palme d’Or; “Buena Vista Social Club” (1999), nominated for an Oscar; and “Wings of Desire” (1987), for which he received the Best Director award at Cannes. However, his Oscar-nominated film “Perfect Days” (2023) is not included in this retrospective, with his most recent work being a 3D documentary titled “Anselm” (2023) focusing on artist Anselm Kiefer.

The director of FHF, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, expressed that the event was a long-held aspiration realized, as he pointed out Wenders’ most recent accolade – the 2024 International Federation of Film Archives Award.

The free movie screenings are scheduled at multiple locations such as Mumbai’s Regal Cinema, Kolkata’s Nandan theater, and New Delhi’s Habitat Centre. In the past, FHF has organized retrospectives featuring filmmakers like Giuseppe Tornatore and Christopher Nolan.

Bjorn Ketels, the director of Goethe Institut Mumbai, emphasized the importance of Wenders as a trailblazer for New German Cinema, noting that this marks “an unprecedented presentation” of his works in India.

Films in the Retrospective:

The following is a list of films directed by Wim Wenders, along with their awards and notable achievements. They include “The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick” (1971), which won the Fipresci Prize at the Venice Film Festival; “Alice in the Cities” (1973); “Kings of the Road” (1975), which received the Fipresci Prize at the Cannes Film Festival; “The American Friend” (1977), winner of the German Critics Prize; “Lightning Over Water” (1980); “Reverse Angle” (1982); “Room 666” (1982); “The State of Things” (1982), which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival; “Paris, Texas” (1984), winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; “Tokyo-Ga” (1985), which received the Outstanding Film of the Year award at the London Film Festival; “Wings of Desire” (1987), which won the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival; “Until the End of the World – Director’s Cut” (1994); “The End of Violence” (1997); “Buena Vista Social Club” (1999), which received an Oscar nomination; “The Million Dollar Hotel” (2000), winner of the Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival; “Don’t Come Knocking” (2005); “Pina” (2011), a 3D documentary that received an Oscar nomination; and most recently, “Anselm” (2023), another 3D documentary.

Read More

2025-01-10 05:48