Wim Wenders Portraits Along the Road

Beginning with his key role within the coterie of German filmmakers who took flight in the 1970s, Wim Wenders has since become one of world cinema’s greatest directors— and possibly its most poetic. Following an extensive restoration project of Wenders’ best-known works and most sought-after rarities, the Film Center is pleased to present this 14-program retrospective. Wim Wenders: Portraits Along the Road features critically-acclaimed classics such as PARIS, TEXAS (1984) and THE AMERICAN FRIEND (1977), while offering several long-unavailable films including Wenders’ feature debut, THE GOALIE’S ANXIETY AT THE PENALTY KICK (1974), and the complete five-hour director’s cut of the legendary UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD (1991). The series highlights the important ways in which Wenders’ career has been shaped by his long-standing collaborations—with the producer Peter Przygodda, the cinematographer Robby Müller, the novelist and screenwriter Peter Handke, and the actors Rüdiger Vogler and Bruno Ganz. Much like the rock ‘n’ roll bands Wenders so adored through his youth and adulthood, these recurring collaborators form something of a backing band to Wenders’ frontman. His films—best seen on the big screen in the company of family, friends, lovers, and strangers—offer a glimpse of hope in a time of strife, and are profoundly resonant in a time where cinematic poetry has come to inhabit an increasingly marginal role in our collective lives.

Synopses adapted from Janus Films’ “Portraits Along the Road” tour website: janusfilms.com/wenders/. For notes on the restoration project, please visit wimwendersstiftung. de/en/digitization/.

Special thanks to the Wim Wenders Stiftung and Janus Films for restoring these key works and coordinating the touring program.