Wim Wenders

Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German director, however, he is not only a director but also playwright, author, photographer and producer. His movies are pretty different from other films which we have watched. He is generally considered as realistic with his films but we will doubt from this information after this movie. He is considered as one the most successful young generation directors of Germany with his subject of social criticism, spirit of searching for a new life and 68’s spirit of freedom. "Wings of Desire" is the movie of  him and no doubt,  it is his best work and it is the movie that got most prizes (Best Director at Cannes 1987). Best- known works from his filmography:

- The Soul of a Man (2003)

- The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)

- Buena Vista Social Club (1999) (documentary about Cuban Musicians)

- Until the End of the World (1991)

- Paris, Texas (1984)

- The State of Things (1982)

- The American Friend (1977)

- Summer in the City (1970)

Road Movie Trilogy:

- Alice in the Cities (1974)

- Wrong Move (1975)

- Kings of the Road (1976)

Wenders was born in Düsseldorf in 1945. He studied medicine first but he changed his major and chose to study philosophy.  At the end, he realized that being a painter suits him, he went to Paris to study in fine arts but he failed. He began to work as an assistant of an American artist and during this time he realized that he was fascinated by cinema. First, he started to work as a film critic and nowadays he is one of the most famous directors of the world. Wenders began his career with the rise of the New German Cinema at the end of the 1960s, with Summer in the City (1970). Wenders is also 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. Wenders is also a Jury Member for the digital studio Filmaka, a platform for undiscovered filmmakers to show their work to industry professionals.

"Sex and violence was never really my cup of tea; I was always more into sax and violins."
 

"I want to make personal films, not private films"

Wings of Desire - 1987

"Wings of Desire" is the movie of Wim Wenders who is one of the best-known directors of Germany. No doubt, “Wings of Desire” is best work and it is the movie that has many prizes (ex. Best Director at Cannes 1987). The original name is “Der Himmel über Berlin” and the direct translation is "Sky above Berlin". The main city of the movie, Berlin, is full of angels in the movie that are moving around and listening to the tortured thoughts of mortals. Angels never interfere the lives of mortals and they just try to comfort them by touching or telling something that mortals are not able to hear. Damiel and Cassiel are two angels that hang around Berlin and observe people and listen to their thoughts. They are immortals so they know the past of German and the present time that they are in and they compare two Germans in some scenes. One day, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) meets to a beautiful trapeze artist, Marion (Solveig Dommartin), in a circus and he fell in love with her. Damiel wishes to become mortal as humans after falling in love and after meeting Peter Falk who explains Damiel the joys of being human and feeling like a human. Even the small things that we don’t give emphasis in daily life such as bath, coffee and cigarette might be valuable than we think. As it is understood, the movie is reflected from the angel’s point-of-view and it is mostly black and white since angels can not see that colors of life. Some scenes are in color but these parts are the human’s point of view. The movie ends with a statement “to be continued” and it gives a message that it will continue. And it is followed by “Faraway, So close” in 1993.

There may be a lot of different comments about this movie but I believe that the differences between scenes show the difference between life with love and without love. For Damiel, love give color to his life as it always gives color to human’s life. When the film ends, the audience will think that they have read a wonderful poem and they will understand better what is to feel like a human.

The Sky above Berlin, tells the story of Berlin and people who live in Berlin from the eyes of two angels that are squeezed from immortality and eternity. “Wings of Desire” is one of most iconic movie of Wenders at the same time. Children are the most important symbols in the film. Even in the beginning of the film, we can read what Damiel writes about the children. Damiel explains why children are so special. A child is a symbol of purity. At the same time, this purity makes the children understand the world, look what is at the back of visible, and see the fascinating truth. So that, only children can sees angels. And children ask the questions that are not questioned. Why am I me and not you? Why I am here and not there? When does the time begin and where does the space end? Does evil really exist and which people are really bad?

“Longing. Longing for a wave of love that would stir in me. That's what makes me clumsy. The absence of pleasure. Desire for love. Desire to love.”

"… I was often alone but never lived alone."

“Only with him could I be alone, open for him. And welcome him wholly to me, and we could share in happiness. I know that it's you.”

“Time is a treat of everything but what if the time is the disease itself? Everything is so empty, so compatible. Emptiness, the fear, fear fear… like an animal lost in the jungle. Who are you, now; I don’t know…Berlin… I am a stranger here but it sounds familiar"