Wim Wenders
Director · Producer
81 years (Aug 14, 1945)Düsseldorf, Germany
Wim Wenders is a German director born in Düsseldorf, a central figure of the New German Cinema movement and one of European cinema's most enduring road-movie stylists. Paris, Texas, following an amnesiac drifter reuniting with his estranged son across the American Southwest, won the Palme d'Or and became one of the defining art-house films of the 1980s, prized for its Ry Cooder score and desolate American landscapes. Wings of Desire, a poetic fantasy about angels observing divided Berlin, extended his fascination with alienation and yearning for connection. Wenders has also built a parallel career in acclaimed documentary, including Buena Vista Social Club, on Cuban musicians, and Perfect Days, a meditative late-career narrative feature set in Tokyo. Wenders's consistent focus on displacement, memory, and quiet observation across both fiction and documentary has made him one of the most internationally traveled major European directors.
Wim Wenders
Director · Producer
Wim Wenders is a German director born in Düsseldorf, a central figure of the New German Cinema movement and one of European cinema's most enduring road-movie stylists. Paris, Texas, following an amnesiac drifter reuniting with his estranged son across the American Southwest, won the Palme d'Or and became one of the defining art-house films of the 1980s, prized for its Ry Cooder score and desolate American landscapes. Wings of Desire, a poetic fantasy about angels observing divided Berlin, extended his fascination with alienation and yearning for connection. Wenders has also built a parallel career in acclaimed documentary, including Buena Vista Social Club, on Cuban musicians, and Perfect Days, a meditative late-career narrative feature set in Tokyo. Wenders's consistent focus on displacement, memory, and quiet observation across both fiction and documentary has made him one of the most internationally traveled major European directors.
Movies: 33 titles
Director
Perfect Days
2023
Director
Paris, Texas
1984
Director
Wings of Desire
1987
Director
The Salt of the Earth
2014
Director
Submergence
2018
Director
Every Thing Will Be Fine
2015
Director
Until the End of the World
1991
Director
The American Friend
1977
Director
The Million Dollar Hotel
2000
Director
Alice in the Cities
1974
Director
The End of Violence
1997
Director
Don't Come Knocking
2005
Director
To Each His Own Cinema
2007
Director
Land of Plenty
2004
Director
Kings of the Road
1976
Director
Hammett
1982
Director
The State of Things
1982
Director
Wrong Move
1975
Director
Lisbon Story
1994
Director
The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez
2016
Director
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick
1975
Director
8
2008
Director
Palermo Shooting
2008
Director
Arisha, the Bear, and the Stone Ring
1993
Director
Summer in the City
1972
Director
Same Player Shoots Again
1968
Director
Polizeifilm
1969
Director
Alabama (2000 Light Years)
1969
TV Shows: 1 title
Latest Trailers
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Cannes Uncut
Full Filmography
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Wim Wenders and where are they from?
Wim Wenders is 81 years old, born on August 14, 1945 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
What are the most famous roles of Wim Wenders?
Wim Wenders is best known for directing Paris, Texas, Perfect Days, Wings of Desire.
How many movies has Wim Wenders directed?
Over a 59-year career (since 1967), Wim Wenders has directed or written 33 films and worked on 1 TV shows.
What was Wim Wenders's first movie?
The career of Wim Wenders began with Untitled Wim Wenders Science Fiction Film ().
What is Wim Wenders's most recent movie or series?
Wim Wenders's most recent release is The Keys to Freedom, which premiered on May 5, 2025.
What TV shows has Wim Wenders created or directed?
On television, Wim Wenders has appeared in The Blues, Ein Haus für uns, Cinéma cinémas.
Does Wim Wenders have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Wim Wenders's upcoming work includes: From Inside Out: The Architecture of Peter Zumthor (2026).
Wim Wenders
1945-08-14 · Düsseldorf, Germany
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and playwright, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes, Venice and Berlin film festivals. He has also received a BAFTA Award and been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Grammy Award.
Wenders made his feature film debut with Summer in the City (1970). He earned critical acclaim for directing the films Alice in the Cities (1974), The Wrong Move (1975), and Kings of the Road (1976), later known as the Road Movie trilogy. Wenders won the BAFTA Award for Best Direction and the Palme d'Or for Paris, Texas (1984) and the Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award for Wings of Desire (1987). His other notable films include The American Friend (1977), Faraway, So Close! (1993), and Perfect Days (2023).
Wenders has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature: for Buena Vista Social Club (1999), Pina (2011), and The Salt of the Earth (2014). He received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video for Willie Nelson at the Teatro (1998). He is also known for directing the documentaries Tokyo-Ga (1985), The Soul of a Man (2003), and Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018).
Wenders has been the president of the European Film Academy since 1996 and won an Honorary Golden Bear in 2015. He is an active photographer, emphasizing images of desolate landscapes. He is considered an auteur director.Wim Wenders, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.