For full biography, download PDF
1945
Born in Düsseldorf, Germany
Lives and works in Los Angeles and Berlin
CHRONOLOGY
1991 to date
Appointed Chairman and later President of the European Film Academy
1984
Elected member of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin
1978
Moved to America, returning to Europe in 1984
1976
Founded his own production company Road Movies
1970
Graduated from the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film with his first feature film, Summer in the City
1967-70
Returned to Germany and entered the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film (Graduate School of Film and Television), Munich. Also worked as film critic for FilmKritik and Süddeutsche Zeitung
1966
Moved to Paris to study painting and work as an engraver
1963-65
Studied medicine and philosophy (1964-65) in Munich, Freiburg and Düsseldorf
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2011
Wim Wenders: Places, strange and quiet, Haunch of Venison, London, United Kingdom
2009
Looking Forward Looking Back: The Collection in Context, Nevada Museum of Art, NE
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
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, images from touring exhibition, Salon of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Dark Places, curated by Joshua Decter, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2005
The Forest: Politics, Poetics, and Practice, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC
Through the Lens, group exhibition, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2004-05
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Århus
C, Denmark
2004
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, Australia and Japan, James Cohan
Gallery, New York, NY
Between The Lines, group exhibition, James Cohan Gallery, New York, NY
Images of Time and Place: Contemporary Views of Landscape, group exhibition, Lehman College Art Gallery, Bronx, NY
Wim Wenders, Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy
Through the Lens: Eight Photographers, group exhibition, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland.
2003
Wim Wenders, James Cohan Gallery, New York, NY
Wim Wenders, Galerie Judin Belot, Zurich, Switzerland
2000-04
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, touring exhibition: Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2001), Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2002), Haunch of Venison, London (2003); Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2003); City Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand; Millennium
Art Museum, Beijing, China; Shanghai Museum of Art, Shanghai, China;
Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China (2004)
2000
Buena Vista Social Club, Rose Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
1996
Wim Wenders: Landscape and Memory, Gallery of Contemporary Photography, Santa Monica
Wim Wenders: Photos, in conjunction with the publication, Wim Wenders: Photos, Munich Goethe Institute (1996), Goethe Institutes worldwide
1995
Wim Wenders: Landscape and Memory, Gallery of Contemporary Photography, Santa Monica, CA
1993-95
Wim Wenders Photo Exhibition, in conjunction with the publication, Once, Munich: Schirmer/ Mosel (2001), touring exhibition: Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome (1993); Villa delle Rose, Bologna (1994); FNAC, Paris (1994); Parco, Tokyo (1994); FNAC, Berlin (1995); Villa Rufolo, Ravello (1995)
1989-94
Wim Wenders Photographs, touring exhibition: Galerie F. C Gundlach, Hamburg (1989); Galerie Marie-Louise Wirth, Zürich (1990); Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film, Munich (1991); Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles (1991); Shibuya Seibu Dept. Store, Tokyo (1992); Kiyomizu
1989-94
Temple, Kyoto (1992); Musée de L'Elysée, Lausanne (1992); Amerika Haus, Berlin (1992); Venice Biennale (1993); Louisiana Museum of
Modern Art, Humlebaek (1993); Sala Parpallo Palau Dels Scala, Valencia (1994); San Telmo Museum, San Sebastian (1994)
1986-92
Written in the West, in conjunction with the publication, Written in the West, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (1987), touring exhibition: Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1986); Encontros de Fotografia, Coimbra (1987); Palazzo della Triennale di Milano (1988); Film Society of Miami (1988); Goethe Institut, Stockholm (1988); Goethe Institut, Copenhagen (1988); Saint-Yrieix-La-Perche (1990); Städtische Galerie Schwarzes Kloster, Freiburg (Breisgau) (1992)
FILMOGRAPHY
Full-length fictional feature films directed by Wim Wenders:
2006 Don't Come Knocking
2004 The Land of Plenty
2000 The Million Dollar Hotel
1997 The End of Violence
1996 A Trick of the Light
1995 Beyond the Clouds (with Michelangelo Antonioni)
1994 Lisbon Story
1993 Faraway, So Close!
1991 Until the End of the World
1987 Wings of Desire
1984 Paris, Texas
1982 The State of Things
Hammett
1977 The American Friend
1975 Kings of the Road
1974 Wrong Move
1973 Alice in the Cities
1972 The Scarlet Letter
1971 The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty
1970 Summer in the City
DOCUMENTARIES AND SHORT FILMS
2002 Ode to Cologne
Twelve Miles from Trona
1999 The Buena Vista Social Club
1998 Willie Nelson at the Teatro
1992 Arisha, the Bear and the Stone Ring
1989 Notebook on Cities and Clothes
1985 Tokyo-Ga
1982 Reverse Angle
Chambre 666
1980 Lightning Over Water
1974 The Island / From the Family of Reptiles
1969 Alabama: 2000 Light Years from Home
3 American LP's
1968 Silver City
Polizeifilm
1967 Schauplätze
Same Player Shoots Again
SELECTED AWARDS
2000 The Million Dollar Hotel
Berlin Film Festival: 'Silver Bear' Jury Prize
1998 Buena Vista Social Club
European Film Award: Best Documentary; New York Film Critics: Best
Documentary
Los Angeles Film Critics: Best Documentary
Edinburgh International Film Festival: Standard Life Audience Award
National Board of Review: Best Documentary
Academy Award Nominee, Best Documentary
1997 The End of Violence
German Film Prize: 'Gold Director's Prize'
1993 Far Away, So Close!
'Grand Jury Prize', Cannes
1987 Wings of Desire
Cannes (Official Competition): Best Director
European Film Prize: Best Director
Los Angeles Film Critics Award: Best Foreign Film & Photography
New York Film Critics Circle: Best Photography
1984 Paris, Texas
'Golden Palm', Cannes Film Festival
British Academy Awards: Best Director
1982 The State of Things
'Golden Lion' and 'Fipresci Prize', Venice
1977 The American Friend
German Film Prize, gold: Best Director and Best Editing
German Film Prize, silver: Production
1976 Kings of the Road
'Golden Hugo', Chicago
1975 Wrong Move
German Film Prize: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography
1971 The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty
'Prize of the Film Critics', Venice
SELECTED HONOURS
2006 Received Miami International Film Festival Career Achievement Tribute
2001 Professor at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste (School of Fine Arts),
Hamburg
1991 to date Made Chairman of the European Film Academy, subsequently elected
President
1995 Received Honorary Doctorate in divinity from the theological faculty of
Fribourg University, Switzerland
1993 Made Honorary Professor at the HFF (Academy of Film and Television) in
Munich
1991 Received the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Award, Bielefeld
1989 Received Honorary Doctorate from the Sorbonne University, Paris
BOOKS BY WIM WENDERS
Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, photographs by Wim Wenders, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (2003)
On Film, A volume that combines Emotion Pictures, The Logic of Images and The Act of Seeing, London: Faber & Faber (2001)
The Heart is a Sleeping Beauty, The Million Dollar Hotel - A Film Book, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (2000)
Buena Vista Social Club, The Companion Book to the Film, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (1999); London: Thames & Hudson (2000)
Wim Wenders: Photos, Munich: Goethe Institut (1996); Heidelberg: Edition Braus (1996)
My Time with Antonioni, The Diary of an Extraordinary Experience, Rome: Edizioni Socrates (1995); Frankfurt am Main: Verlag Autoren (1995); London: Faber & Faber (2000)
Once, Rome: Edizioni Socrates (1993); Frankfurt am Main: Verlag der Autoren (1994); Tokyo: Parco co. (1994); Munich: Schirmer/ Mosel (2001)
Electronic Paintings, Rome: Edizioni Socrates (1993)
The Act of Seeing, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag der Autoren (1992); Milan: Ubulibri (1992); London: Faber & Faber (1997); USA: Faber Inc. (1997)
The Logic of Images, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag der Autoren (1988); London: Faber & Faber (1991); USA: Faber Inc. (1991); Copenhagen: Raevens Sorte Bibliotek (1991); Taiwan: Bardon Chinese Media Agency (1993)
Written in the West, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel (1987); Milan: Editoriale Jaca Book (1988)
Emotion Pictures, Frankfurt am Main:Verlag der Autoren (1986); Lisbon: Edicoes 70 (1989); London: Faber & Faber (1992), USA: Faber Inc. (1992)
Tokyo-Ga, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag der Autoren (1985); Berlin: Galrev – Verlag (1986)
CATALOGUES
Wim Wenders: Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, Schirmer Art Books
Wim Wenders: Immagini dal pianeta terra, Scuderie dal Quirinale, Contrasto, July 2006
ARTICLES/REVIEWS
Duke, Nathan. “Pina in 3-D an Eye-Popping Film Experience: REVIEW,” Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Patch, January 2, 2012
Engber, Daniel, “Wim Wenders Shows Why 3-D Should Be Taken Seriously,” Slate, December 22, 2011
Kohn, Eric, “Wim Wender’ 3D Dance Tribute to Pina is Both Gorgeous and Slight,” Indiewire, December 22, 2011
Thompson, Anne, “Wenders Gets Out of His Own Way with Stunning 3-D Tribute to Pina Bausch,” Toh! Thompson on Hollywood, December 22, 2011
Bailey, Jason, “In Theaters: Pina,” Fourth Row Center: Film Writings by Jason Bailey,
December 22, 2011
Quill, Greg, “Review: Pina a revelation on film,” The Star, December 22, 2011.
Marvar, Alexandra, “A Tribute to Pina Bausch,” Cinespect, December 22, 2011.
Deimling, Kate “A Life-Changing Experience: Director Wim Wenders on Dance and His New 3-D Film ‘Pina’ ” ArtInfo, December 22, 2011.
Melnick, Meredith, “Director Wim Wenders on Filming the Work of Pina Bausch in 3-D,” TIME Magazine, December 22, 2011.
Zacharek, Stephanie, “Review: Wim Wender’s 3-D Pina Makes Its Own Joyful Dance,” Movie Line, December 21, 2011.
Sutton, Benjamin, “In Pina, Bausch’s Company Takes Center Stage” The L Magazine, December 21, 2011.
Lambert, Alix , “Wim Wenders, Pina,” Filmmaker, December 21, 2011.
McCreadie, Marsha, “Film Review: Pina,” Film Journal International, December 20, 2011.
Alias, Chase, “Wim Wenders’ One Second Wonders,” Theorize Art (blog), December 3, 2011
Metzer, Wade, “The Beauty of a Second by Wim Wenders for Montblanc,” VIT.B December 1, 2011
Bloch, Sam, “’How Los Angeles Invented the World’ with Wim Wenders, William Friedkin and Others: Is L.A. in a Cultural Adolescence?”, LAWeekly, November 23, 2011
Dunlevy, T’Cha, “Wim Wenders Documentary a Tribute to Famed Choreographer,” Ottawa Citizen, November 20, 2011
Sperling, Nicole, “Oscar Documentary Shortlist Includes ‘Paradise Lost 3,’ ‘Project Nim,’ 24 Frames, November 19, 2011
______, “’Pina’ Gets Second Oscar Nomination,” The Local, November 19, 2011
Jagernauth, Kevin, “Wim Wenders’ ‘Pina,’ ‘Buck,’ ‘Paradise Lost 3,’ ‘Project Nim’ & More Make Oscar Documentary Shortlist,” The Playlist, November 18, 2011
Waters, Florence, “Sedition: Would You Pay £500 for Pixelated Art?,” The Telegraph, November 17, 2011
_____, “Artists Join the Digital Revolution,” MarketWatch, November 17, 2011
Vanairsdale, S. T., “Wim Wenders on ‘Until the End of the World’ at 20, Its Amazing
Soundtrack, and Loving LuLu,” Movieline, November 15, 2011
Pond, Steve, “Oscar Doc Race: This Year, It’s a Free-for-All,” The Wrap, November 15, 2011
LoquaciousMuse, “AFI 2011: Best of Fest,” Film.com, November 12, 2011
Steve Pond, "'Tintin' Close AFI Fest with a Little Charm, a Lot of Action," The Wrap, November 11, 2011
Michael Cieply, "Hollywood Plans Big Binge for Chrtistmas," New York Times, November 9, 2011
Helfand, Glen, "Full-Bodied Films," Huffington Post, November 7, 2011
Wiederholt, Emily, "Remembering Pina Bausch Onscreen ... and onstage," SFBG, October 31, 2011
David, Edward, “Wim Wenders Discusses Painful ‘Hammett’ Collaboration with Coppola, Friendship with Nicholas Ray,” The Playist, October 22, 2011
Benzine, Adam, “’Pina,’ ‘Positioning Among the Stars’ in Running for EFA Doc Prize,”
RealScreen, October 18, 2011
Davis, Edaward, “Wim Wenders Says 3D Has ‘Amazing Consequences,’ Still Waiting for Film That Cracks the 3D Code, The Playlist, October 18, 2011
Meza, Ed, “’Pina’ Vies for Euro Docu Prize,” Variety, October 18, 2011
Fahim, Joseph, “A Sublime dance in 3-D, a stage-frightened Pope and a spectacular action ride in Abu Dhabi,” Daily News Egypt, October 17, 2011
Bale, Miriam, “NYFF 2011: Pina,” The Measure, October 16, 2011
Whipple, George, “Power of Dance Fuels 3-D Documentary ‘Pina’,” NY1, October 16, 2011
Barlow, Helen, “Saving the last dance for Pina Basuch,” NZ Herlad, October 15, 2011
Rizov, Vadim, “Finding New Life in 3-D: Wim Wenders’ ‘Pina’,” Fandor.com October 14, 2011
Malcolm, Gabrielle, “A Film for Pina Bausch by Wim Wenders,” PopMatters, October 13, 2011
Keopke, Melora, "Work for Work's Sake," Rover Art, October 12, 2011
Scott, A. O. “Film Fest Gleams Mysterious This Year,” The New York Times, October 09, 2011
Taylor, Drew, “ ‘Pina’ Is a Gorgeously Photographed, Three-Dimensional Sleeping Pill,” The
Playlist, October 09, 2011
Campbell, Christopher, “In the Year of the Dance Doc, Wim Wenders’ “Pina” is Tops,” Spout, October 07, 2011
Howard, Warren, “DVD: Pina (U),” The Independent, September 30, 2011
Woznv, Nancy, “Dance Fever: Cinema Festival Plans Showing of Wim Wenders’ 3D Movie Pina Bausch,” Culture Map Houston, September 27, 2011
Keough, Peter, “TIFF II,” Outside the Frame, September 11, 2011
Quill, Greg, “Wim Wenders Reinvents 3-D in Epic Dance Film,” TheStar.com, September 09,2011
Douglas, Edward, “TIFF11 Reviews: Wim Wenders’s ‘Pina’, U2 Doc ‘From the Sky Down’,
ComingSoon.net, September 09, 2011
Voynar, Kim, “TIFF11 Reviews: Pina,” Movie City News, September 09, 2011
Goldberg, Matt, “TIFF 2011: PINA Review,” Collider.com September 08, 2011
"Wim Wenders: Immagini dal pianeta terra," Scuderie del Quirinale, July 14, 2006
"The Hills are alive with the sound of memories," asahi.com, May 12, 2006
Goldberg, Melissa, "Wim Wenders," Flaunt Magazine
Wenders, Wim, "Living is Easy with Eyes Closed…" C International Photo Magazine, No. 1, 2005
Olivares, Rosa, ed, "La Habana", Exit , No. 17, 2005 (images only)
Gallegos, Carina and Marisol Martell, "Art Basel Miami Beach 2005," ArtNexus, No. 56,
Vol. 3, 2005
Opinion, Jess, "Exhibit Explores Sparce Spaces," The Johns Hopkins News-Letter,
February 4, 2005
Rexer, Lyle, "Wim Wenders: Pictures from the Surface of the Earth: Australia and Japan
at James Cohan Gallery", Art on Paper, January/February 2005, p. 77.
"Portfolio Wim Wenders", Planet, Spring 2004, p. 8, pp. 48-49
Genocchio, Benjamin, "More Than Just a Pretty Scene", The New York Times, Sunday, March 14, 2004
Leffingwell, Edward, "Wim Wenders at James Cohan", Art in America, March 2004,
pp.123-124
Goldberg, Vicki, "Wim Wenders and the Landscape of Desire", The New York Times,
Sunday, November 30, 2003
"Photography: the Big Picture", New York Magazine, November 10, 2003
Sommereyns, Oscar, "Wim Wenders and the Road Not Taken", The Miami Hurricane,
Live & Art, August 29, 2003
Pinsent, Richard, "The Frozen Frame", The Art Newspaper, April 2003, p. 27
Hubbard, Sue, "What the Nomad Saw", Art Review, March 2003, p. 25
Gavin, Francesca, "Silence is Golden", The Big Issue, March 10, 2003, pp. 22-24
Irving, Mark, "Moving Images", The Independent on Sunday: Sunday Review, March 2, 2003, pp. 16-20
Irving, Mark, "Wim and Vigour", Financial Times: Weekend, February 22, 2003, p. 7
Hernández Cava, Felipe, "¡Qué verdadero, qué existente!", in Exit, No. 3, 2001 (pp. 60-67)