Wim Wenders
short biography

Wim Wenders (born 1945 in Düsseldorf) became internationally known as one of the protagonists of the New German Cinema of the 1970s. Today, he is considered as one of the most important figures of contemporary world cinema. The work of the screenwriter, director, producer, photographer and author includes multiple award-winning feature and documentary films, photo exhibitions presented worldwide, as well as numerous photo books, film books and text collections. He lives and works in Berlin with his wife Donata Wenders.

His films PARIS, TEXAS (1984) and WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) are today part of the international canon of film heritage, as are his innovative documentaries PINA, BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB and THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

His two most recent films had their world premiere at the Festival de Cannes in 2023: ANSELM, his documentary film in 3D about Anselm Kiefer, and his Japanese feature film PERFECT DAYS, for which lead actor Kōji Yakusho received the award for Best Actor in Cannes. PERFECT DAYS became his internationally most successful film and was nominated for an Oscar in the “International Feature Film” category in 2024.

In 2012, Wim and Donata Wenders established the Wenders Foundation in Wenders' native city Düsseldorf. The non-profit foundation brings together the artist's cinematic, photographic and literary lifework and makes it permanently accessible to the public. In the process, the films are restored to state of the art digital masters. The Wim Wenders Foundation is also engaged in film education for schools, and supports - in cooperation with the Film- und Medienstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen - the promotion of young talent in the field of innovative cinematic storytelling with the Wim Wenders Grant.