REMEMBERING BRUNO GANZ

Bruno Ganz was one of the greatest actors in the German-speaking area since the last 50 years. Beginning his theatrical career in Bremen, Ganz collaborated with Kurt Hübner and later with Peter Stein as he was part of the ensemble of the Berliner Schaubühne. Over more than two decades he was one of the leading idols of the German-language theatre and worked together with the most innovative directors during this time. 

Apart from that he became popular in the film industry in the middle of the 1970s and had great success by shooting films like “Der Himmel über Berlin” or “Der amerikanische Freund” in association with Wim Wenders for which he gained international attention. 

In 2004 Ganz played the role of Adolf Hitler in “Der Untergang” with a high accuracy of expression which perhaps was his greatest performance. In total he had played more than 100 film roles and a dozens more on stage. He won a number of film awards over his decades-long career and had a lasting impression on the German-language film and theatrical landscape. Now, as a result of a cancerous disease he died in an age of 77 in his hometown Zurich.

Wings of Desire
Dir.: Wim Wenders | 1987 | 128 min.

The sky over war-scarred Berlin is full of gentle, trench-coated angels who listen to the tortured thoughts of mortals and try to comfort them. One, Damiel, wishes to become mortal after falling in love with a beautiful trapeze artist, Marion. Peter Falk, as himself, assists in the transformation by explaining the simple joys of a human experience, such as the sublime combination of coffee and cigarettes.
Told from the angel′s point of view, Wings of Desire is shot in black and white, blossoming into color only when the angels perceive the realities of humankind. Ultimately, Damiel determines that he must experience humanity in full, and breaks through into the real world to pursue a life with Marion.