„I travel a whole lot.
(as you do, I guess…)
So much, in fact, that I sometimes think
that this is my real profession: traveler.
(Traveling talesman would not be an unfitting description
for someone who makes films while traveling.)“
Wim Wenders: In Defence of Place. In: A Sense of Place, Verlag der Autoren, 2005
In the summer months the horizon recedes and, invigorated by rest and travel, we reflect on our work and our missions:
SUPPORTING YOUNG TALENT
After 15 years of supporting and promoting young artistic talent, Wim Wenders finally hung up his lecturing hat at the HFBK (University of Fine Arts, Hamburg) in July 2017. This does not, however, mark the end of his relationship with the city of Hamburg, as attested by the fact that on October 13th he will be honored with the Filmfest Hamburg’s Douglas Sirk Award on the occasion of the German premiere of his new feature film, Submergence.
In Düsseldorf, application reviewings are underway for the Wim Wenders Grant, to be awarded for the 4th time on September 28th. On the eve of the ceremony, a colloquium will give current grant holders and alumni another opportunity to come together and discuss their respective projects.
Fostering a different kind of networking with our direct neighbours, the foundation is also sponsoring the Junge Filmwerkstatt’s Open Studios // Open Minds. This project guides a future generation of filmmakers, still at school, through the production of films about artists. We are able to support this project thanks to the money from the “Großer Kulturpreis der Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland”, donated by Wim Wenders.
The promotion and support of innovative narrative filmmaking is a mission that transcends borders of cities and countries – which is why we are happy Wim Wenders was appointed jury member of the 3-year-old Platform section (awarding innovative international directors) at the Toronto International Film Festival, where his new feature film Submergence will also premiere on September 7th (Special Presentations).
SAFEGUARDING, RESTORATION AND ACCESS
In Berlin, work will begin on the restoration and 4K-digitization of DER HIMMEL ÜBER BERLIN (WINGS OF DESIRE). 30 years after the film was first shown in German cinemas, we are eagerly awaiting the premiere of the restored version in spring 2018.
For his endeavour not only to preserve a part of Europe’s cultural heritage, but also to promote and keep it alive, Wim Wenders will be honored with the Helena Vaz da Silva Award on October 24th in Lisbon.
We seek to develop new contacts within the world of science and research – while strengthening our existing relationships – in order to pursue our mission of revising and presenting Wim Wenders’ body of work. From September onwards, we look forward to welcoming a research fellow from the University of Amsterdam’s Master’s Program “Heritage Studies: Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image“ to our team.
Meanwhile, a significant portion of the extensive inventory of Wenders’ Polaroids has been safeguarded and prepared for display in exhibitions. Instant Stories: Wim Wenders’ Polaroids, a project developed in collaboration with the Wim Wenders Foundation, will open at The Photographers’ Gallery in London on October 20th, before continuing its journey at the C/O Berlin foundation over the summer 2018. In addition to the exhibition, a book will be released this fall by Schirmer/Mosel and Thames & Hudson.
Wim Wenders’ Essay collection “The Pixels of Paul Cezanne” – published by the Verlag der Autoren and also released in Italian by Contrasto and in Spanish by Caja Negra Editora – will be published this September in French by L’Arche Editeur in Paris, and in 2018 in English by Faber and Faber.
COMPANIONS
Cultural heritage is always the product of a collaborative process. It lives on and transcends the individual ideas that have been given a material form. The Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum for Film and Television in Berlin celebrates Wenders’ cinematographer of many years with the exhibition Robby Müller – Master of Light, on display until November 5th. In addition, exhibits on loan from the Wim Wenders Foundation can be seen from September 30th at the Galerie Forum Amalienpark in Berlin in an exhibition paying Homage to Ulrich Zieger – co-author of Faraway, so close! (In weiter Ferne, so nah!). We are also thrilled that Hannah Schygulla will receive the Honorary Award of the Deutscher Schauspielerpreis (German Actors Award) on September 22nd. And we are deeply saddened that during the same summer, the life journeys of Jeanne Moreau and Sam Shepard reached their respective ends.
The search for the eternal within the transient continues. While his latest documentary project Pope Francis – A MAN OF HIS WORD is currently in post-production, Wim Wenders will be awarded the Hans-Ehrenberg-Preis on September 17th for his artistic style, “which leaves room for that which is intangible“ and encourages one to “imagine the imageless, the sacred within the profane“ (Dr. Gerald Hagmann, superintendent of the Evangelical Church, Bochum).
For more information, we invite you to take a look at the WW calendar and at our Facebook page.
Photo: Image 42, „Iced“ Sun Valley, California. In: Wim Wenders: Written in the West, Schirmer/Mosel, 2000 © Wim Wenders