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The ±«Óătv Art Gallery and the Atlantic Film Festival have combined to put on a retrospective of feature films by multi-Cannes Film Festival award winner Wim Wenders.
Originally a film critic who grew up in the cinema, Wenders (pronounced âVendersâ) was chosen to be showcased at ±«Óătv due to his âabundant humanism,â says Ron Foley Macdonald, ±«Óătv film curator and senior programmer of the Atlantic Film Festival.
âHis collaborations with some of his mentors, Nicholas Ray (director of Rebel Without A Cause), Ozu, and Antonioni show a level of respect for the cinema unmatched in the art form,â says Mr. Macdonald.
±«Óătv Film Professor David Nicol also encourages students to go see the Wenders showcase: âHis films are like dreams,â says Dr. Nicol. âTheyâre intimate, quiet, and restrained.â
Dr. Nicol explains Wendersâ films allow the viewer to draw upon their own emotions. âThereâs a slow and beautiful poetic feeling; his work is thought provoking.â
The retrospective will feature two of Wendersâ most influential films:Â Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire.
Paris, Texas starring Harry Dean Stanton as Travis and Natassja Kinski as his wife Jane tells the tale of Travis and his estranged son Hunterâs journey to find Jane. It's a journey which Dr. Nicol describes as âhypnotic.â
Wings of Desire stars Bruno Ganz , as Damiel, Solveig Dommartin as Marrion, and Peter Falk (any Columbo fans out there?) as himself. This film is a tortured love tale about angels who want to be human. Peter Falk helps expose Damiel, an angel, to the joys of humanity.
Together, these films have won eight awards, including the Cannes Palm DâOr for Best Film (Paris, Texas) in 1984. Wenders has also been awarded Best Director for both these films at the Cannes Film Festival.
Wendersâ work has not been in the spotlight recently and, according to Mr. Macdonald, this yearâs retrospective will aim to give the German director well deserved recognition in Canada.
Wenders is the director of 22 feature films, five of which will be screening at the ±«Óătv Art Gallery this week.
All screenings will be at 5 p.m., the shows are free but space is limited! For more information visit: