Wim Wenders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wim Wenders
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![]() Wim Wenders in 2024
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Born |
Ernst Wilhelm Wenders
14 August 1945 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Occupation |
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Years active | 1967–present |
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Awards | Full list |
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (born August 14, 1945) is a famous German filmmaker and photographer. He is a very important person in what is called the New German Cinema movement. He has won many awards from big film festivals like Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. He has also won a BAFTA Award and been nominated for three Academy Awards (Oscars) and a Grammy Award.
Wenders made his first full-length movie, Summer in the City, in 1970. He became well-known for directing films like Alice in the Cities (1974), The Wrong Move (1975), and Kings of the Road (1976). These three movies are often called his Road Movie trilogy. Wim Wenders won the BAFTA Award for Best Direction and the top prize, the Palme d'Or, for his film Paris, Texas (1984). He also won the Best Director Award at Cannes for Wings of Desire (1987). Some of his other famous films include The American Friend (1977), Faraway, So Close! (1993), and Perfect Days (2023).
Wenders has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature (Best Documentary Oscar). These nominations were for Buena Vista Social Club (1999), Pina (2011), and The Salt of the Earth (2014). He was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Willie Nelson at the Teatro (1998). He is also known for directing other documentaries like Tokyo-Ga (1985), The Soul of a Man (2003), Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018), and Anselm (2023).
Wenders was the president of the European Film Academy from 1996 to 2020. In 2015, he received an Honorary Golden Bear award. He is also a talented photographer, often taking pictures of empty landscapes. He is seen as an auteur director, meaning he has a very strong personal style in his films.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Wim Wenders was born in Düsseldorf, Germany. His family was Catholic, and his father, Heinrich Wenders, was a surgeon. "Wim" is a shorter version of his birth name, "Wilhelm." As a child, Wenders would travel alone to Amsterdam to visit the Rijksmuseum, a famous art museum. He finished high school in Oberhausen.
After high school, he studied medicine at the University of Freiburg (1963–64) and philosophy at the University of Dusseldorf (1964–65). However, he decided to stop these studies and moved to Paris in 1966 to become a painter. He tried to get into France's national film school, IDHEC, but didn't pass the test. Instead, he worked as an engraver in a studio. During this time, he became very interested in movies, sometimes watching up to five films a day!
In 1967, Wenders returned to Germany, determined to make filmmaking his career. He worked at the United Artists office in Düsseldorf. That fall, he started studying at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF). While studying there from 1967 to 1970, he also worked as a film critic for several newspapers and magazines.
Before graduating, Wenders made several short films. His graduation project was a black-and-white film called Summer in the City (1970), which became his first feature film.
Film Career
Early Films (1970–1976)
Wenders started his film career in the late 1960s, during the time of the New German Cinema. Many of his films have a special look because he worked for a long time with cinematographer Robby Müller. Wenders's first feature film, Summer in the City (1970), was his graduation project. It was shot in black-and-white and showed many of the themes that would become common in his later films: characters searching, running from problems, and wandering without a clear destination.
After that, Wenders directed The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty, based on a short novel. He also directed The Scarlet Letter (1973), which was a period drama based on a famous novel. From 1974 to 1976, Wenders directed his "Road Movie trilogy." The first film was Alice in the Cities (1974), followed by The Wrong Move (1975) and Kings of the Road (1976). Kings of the Road won an award at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.
Becoming Famous (1977–1987)

In 1977, Wenders became more widely known for directing The American Friend. This film starred Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz and was based on a novel. Critics compared it to other famous films, noting its dark, thoughtful, and movie-loving style.
Wenders received a lot of praise for his road drama Paris, Texas (1984). It starred Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, and Dean Stockwell. The film won the top prize, the Palme d'Or, at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. A famous critic, Roger Ebert, said the film was "true, deep, and brilliant."
Next, Wenders directed the fantasy romance Wings of Desire (1987), starring Bruno Ganz and Peter Falk. It premiered at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, where Wenders won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director. The film was very popular with critics and was considered one of the best films of that year.
Later Career (1991–Present)
In 1991, Wenders directed the science fiction adventure Until the End of the World. This film has been released in different versions, some very long. In 1993, he directed Faraway, So Close!, which was a sequel to Wings of Desire. Many of the original actors returned, and the film won an award at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. The next year, he directed Lisbon Story. In 1995, he directed A Trick of Light and was part of the film Lumière and Company.
In 1997, Wenders directed the American drama The End of Violence. This film did not receive good reviews and didn't do well at the box office.
Wenders has also directed several highly praised documentaries. These include Willie Nelson at the Teatro (1998), about music recording sessions. The next year, he directed Buena Vista Social Club, which was about Cuban music and was nominated for an Oscar. In 2002, he made a documentary about the German rock band BAP.
Wenders has directed music videos for bands like U2 and Talking Heads. He also directed a documentary-style film about the Skladanowsky brothers, who were early inventors of "moving pictures." In 2011, Wenders was chosen to direct a famous opera, but the project didn't happen because he wanted to film it in 3-D, which was too expensive.
In 2012, Wenders said he would only work in 3-D from then on. He had admired the dance choreographer Pina Bausch for a long time and felt that 3-D technology finally allowed him to capture her work properly in his film Pina.
In 2015, Wenders worked on a documentary about his own films, but it was not finished. He is also a member of the advisory board for the World Cinema Foundation, which helps find and restore old films from around the world.
In 2017, Wenders directed an opera in Berlin. In 2018, he said his favorite movie he ever made was his film about Pope Francis, Pope Francis: A Man of His Word. He felt that his whole career had led up to making that film. He greatly admires Pope Francis and believes he is doing his best in a difficult world. Wenders was raised Catholic but later became a Protestant.
In 2019, Wenders was an executive producer for a documentary called A Black Jesus. This film explored how religion affects community identity in a small Sicilian town during a time of refugee crisis. Wenders encouraged the film to be more symbolic and philosophical.
In 2025, Wenders made a short film called "The Keys to Freedom" in France. In the film, he visits a museum where General Eisenhower gave the keys of a liberated city to its mayor in 1945. Wenders commented that "These are the keys to the freedom of the world." He told The New York Times that young people should not take freedom for granted, as they might need to defend it in the future.
Photography
Wim Wenders is also a well-known photographer. His photos often show empty landscapes and explore ideas of memory, time, loss, and movement. He started a long-term photography project called "Pictures from the Surface of the Earth" in the early 1980s, which he continued for 20 years.
His first photo series for this project was called "Written in the West." He took these pictures while traveling across the American West to prepare for his film Paris, Texas (1984). This project led him to travel all over the world, including Germany, Australia, Cuba, Israel, and Japan, to capture the feeling of different places and moments.
Personal Life
Wim Wenders lives and works in Berlin with his wife, Donata. He has lived in Berlin since the mid-1970s. He is an ecumenical Christian, meaning he supports unity among different Christian churches. When he was a teenager, he wanted to become a Catholic priest. He is a fan of the German football club Borussia Dortmund.
In 2009, Wenders signed a petition supporting director Roman Polanski, who had been arrested while traveling to a film festival. The petition argued that arresting filmmakers at festivals could make these events less safe for showing films freely.
From 1979 to 1981, Wenders was married to the American actress and singer-songwriter Ronee Blakley.
Filmography
Films
Short Films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
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1967 | Scenary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also cinematographer and editor |
1968 | Same Player Shoots Again | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also cinematographer and editor |
Blurb Film | Yes | No | No | Co-directed with Gerhard Theuring | |
Victor I. | Yes | No | No | ||
1969 | Alabama (2000 Light Years) | Yes | Yes | No | Also editor and sound |
1992 | Arisha, the Bear, and the Stone Ring | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
1995 | Segment 38 | Yes | No | No | Part of Lumière et compagnie |
2002 | Twelve Miles to Trona | Yes | Yes | No | Part of Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet |
2003 | Other Side of the Road | Yes | No | No | |
2007 | War in Peace | Yes | Yes | No | Part of To Each His Own Cinema |
2008 | Person to Person | Yes | Yes | No | Part of 8 |
2012 | Ver ou Não Ver | Yes | Yes | No | Part of Mundo Invisível |
2010 | If Buildings Could Talk | Yes | Yes | No | |
2015 | Two or Three Thoughts on Edward Hopper | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also executive producer |
2019 | (E)motion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Feature Films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
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1970 | Summer in the City | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1972 | The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1973 | The Scarlet Letter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1974 | Alice in the Cities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1975 | The Wrong Move | Yes | No | Uncredited |
1976 | Kings of the Road | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1977 | The American Friend | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1982 | Hammett | Yes | No | No |
The State of Things | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
1984 | Paris, Texas | Yes | No | No |
1987 | Wings of Desire | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1991 | Until the End of the World | Yes | Yes | Co-producer |
1993 | Faraway, So Close! | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1994 | Lisbon Story | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1995 | Beyond the Clouds | Partial | Yes | No |
1997 | The End of Violence | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2000 | The Million Dollar Hotel | Yes | No | Yes |
2004 | Land of Plenty | Yes | Yes | No |
2005 | Don't Come Knocking | Yes | Yes | Executive |
2008 | Palermo Shooting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2015 | Every Thing Will Be Fine | Yes | No | No |
2016 | The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez | Yes | Yes | No |
2017 | Submergence | Yes | No | No |
2023 | Perfect Days | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Producer Only
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Executive Producer Only
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Documentaries
Short Documentaries
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
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1969 | Silver City Revisited | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also cinematographer and editor |
1982 | Reverse Angle | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2007 | Invisible Crimes | Yes | Yes | No | Part of Invisibles |
2010 | If Buildings Could Talk | Yes | Yes | No | |
Il volo | Yes | Yes | No | ||
2014 | The Berlin Philharmonic | Yes | Yes | No | Part of Cathedrals of Culture |
2022 | Présence | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
2023 | Somebody Comes Into the Light | Yes | No | Yes | |
2025 | The Keys to Freedom | Yes | Yes | No |
Documentary Films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
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1980 | Lightning Over Water | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed by Nicholas Ray; Also editor |
1985 | Tokyo-Ga | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also editor and narrator |
1989 | Notebook on Cities and Clothes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also cinematographer and narrator |
1995 | A Trick of Light | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
1998 | Willie Nelson at the Teatro | Yes | Yes | No | |
1999 | Buena Vista Social Club | Yes | Yes | No | |
2002 | Ode to Cologne: A Rock 'N' Roll Film | Yes | Yes | No | |
2003 | The Soul of a Man | Yes | Yes | No | |
2011 | Pina | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2014 | The Salt of the Earth | Yes | Yes | Executive | Co-directed with Juliano Ribeiro Salgado |
2018 | Pope Francis: A Man of His Word | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2023 | Anselm | Yes | No | Yes | |
TBA | The Secrets of Places | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TV Movies
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
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1969 | Kaspar Hauser | Yes | No | No |
1982 | Room 666 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TV Series
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
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1977 | A House for Us | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
2020 | 4 Walls Berlin | Yes | Yes | Episode "Change" |
Other Works
TV Shorts
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
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1969 | Police Film | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also cinematographer and editor |
3 Americans LPS | Yes | No | No | Also editor |
Music Videos
Year | Title | Artist |
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1990 | "Night and Day" | U2 |
1992 | "Sax and Violins" | Talking Heads |
1993 | "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" | U2 |
1997 | "Every Time I Try" | Spain |
2000 | "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" | U2 |
"Warum werde ich nicht satt?" | Die Toten Hosen | |
2001 | "Souljacker Part I" | Eels |
2002 | "Live in a Hiding Place" | Idlewild |
2009 | "Auflösen" | Die Toten Hosen |
2020 | "Anagnorisis" | Asaf Avidan |
Commercials
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Subject |
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2000 | "Un matin partout dans le monde" | Yes | Yes | JCDecaux |
2009 | "My Point of View" | Yes | Yes | Leica |
2017–2018 | Jil Sander: Spring/Summer 2018 | Yes | Yes | Jil Sander |
2021 | A Future Together | Yes | No | Salvatore Frengasso |
Awards and Recognition
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
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2000 | Academy Awards | Best Documentary Feature Film | Buena Vista Social Club | Nominated | |
2012 | Pina | Nominated | |||
2015 | The Salt of the Earth | Nominated | |||
2024 | Best International Feature Film | Perfect Days | Nominated | ||
2023 | Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Feature Film | Won | ||
2024 | Asian Film Awards | Best Film | Nominated | ||
1987 | Bavarian Film Awards | Best Director | Wings of Desire | Won | |
1993 | Faraway, So Close! | Won | |||
1988 | Belgian Film Critics Association | Grand Prix | Wings of Desire | Won | |
2024 | Perfect Days | Nominated | |||
2015 | Berlin International Film Festival | Honorary Golden Bear | N/A | Won | |
1985 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Direction | Paris, Texas | Won | |
1989 | Best Film Not in the English Language | Wings of Desire | Nominated | ||
2000 | Buena Visa Social Club | Nominated | |||
2012 | Pina | Nominated | |||
1984 | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Paris, Texas | Won | |
1987 | Best Director | Wings of Desire | Won | ||
1993 | Grand Prix | Faraway, So Close! | Won | ||
1978 | César Awards | Best Foreign Film | The American Friend | Nominated | |
1985 | Paris, Texas | Nominated | |||
1988 | Wings of Desire | Nominated | |||
2015 | Best Documentary Film | The Salt of the Earth | Won | ||
2024 | Best Foreign Film | Perfect Days | Nominated | ||
1985 | David di Donatello | Best Foreign Film | Paris, Texas | Nominated | |
2015 | The Salt of the Earth | Nominated | |||
1988 | European Film Awards | European Film | Wings of Desire | Nominated | |
European Director | Won | ||||
1999 | European Documentary | Buena Visa Social Club | Won | ||
2005 | European Director | Don't Come Knocking | Nominated | ||
2011 | European Documentary | Pina | Won | ||
2024 | Lifetime Achievement Award | N/A | Honored | ||
2017 | Filmfest Hamburg | Douglas Sirk Award | N/A | Won | |
2001 | Grammy Awards | Best Long Form Music Video | Teatro (Video) | Nominated | |
2004 | International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg | Master of Cinema Award | N/A | Won | |
2024 | Japan Academy Film Prize | Director of the Year | Perfect Days | Won | |
2005 | Locarno Film Festival | Leopard of Honour | N/A | Won | |
2025 | ![]() |
4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette | N/A | Honored | |
1982 | Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | The State of Things | Won | |
2012 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Documentary Screenplay | Pina | Nominated |
Wenders has received special honorary degrees from universities in Paris (1989), Switzerland (1995), and Belgium (2005). The Wim Wenders Foundation was started in Düsseldorf in 2012. This foundation helps keep his films, photos, art, and writings together in Germany so that people can always see them. In 2016, he received a major cultural award from the Sparkassen Culture-Foundation Rhineland.
Exhibitions
1986–1992
- Written in the West, with the book, Written in the West, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (1987)
1993–1995
- Wim Wenders Photo Exhibition, with the book, Once, Munich: Schirmer/ Mosel (2001)
2004
- Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, Australia and Japan, James Cohan Gallery, New York
- Between The Lines, group exhibition, James Cohan Gallery, New York
2006
- Wim Wenders: Immagini dal pianeta terra, Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome, Italy
- Journey to Onomichi – Photos by Wim and Donata Wenders, Omotesando Hills, Tokyo, Japan
2011
- Places, strange and quiet, Haunch of Venison, London, UK
2012
- Places Strange and Quiet, Ostlicht. Galerie Für Fotografie, Vienna, AT
- Places, strange and quiet, Harald Falckenberg Exhibition Space, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg, DE
- Wim Wenders: Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow, RU
2014
- Wim Wenders: Places Strange & Quiet, GL Strand, Copenhagen, DK
- Wim Wenders: Urban Solitude, Palazzo Incontro, Rome, IT
2015
- Wim Wenders: America, Villa e collezione la Panza, Varese, IT
- "In broad daylight even the sounds shine. Wim Wenders scouting in Portugal", curated by Anna Duque y González and Laura Schmidt Reservatório da Mãe d'Água das Amoreiras, Lisbon
2016
- "The Space Between the Characters Can Carry the Load", Collection Ivo Wessel, Weserburg Museum for modern Art, Bremen, DE
2017/2018
- "Instant Stories/Wim Wenders' Polaroids", The Photographers' Gallery, London, from October 20, 2017 to February 11, 2018.
Installation Art
2019
- (E)motion
2020
- Two or Three Things I Know About Edward Hopper
2022
- Presence, with Claudine Drai
See also
In Spanish: Wim Wenders para niños
- BlainSouthern
- James Cohan Gallery
- Jerusalem 2111