The portrait of German artist Anselm Kiefer presented at Cannes is like his large-scale sculptures - monumental yet still embracing the human perspective. And it is certainly not a conventional documentary featuring talking heads. After the memorable Pina, Wim Wenders offers another immersive film experience (the production took two years), allowing us to enter the world of the artist and his works. Fictionalized scenes, archival footage, and 3D shots from the gigantic studio contribute to a nuanced portrayal of a man struggling with post-war collective amnesia. Born in 1945, Kiefer, a student of Joseph Beuys, was initially regarded by some as a mere provocateur and even a sympathizer of Nazism. However, in his works, he called for the remembrance of Germany's difficult past, much like Heinrich Böll did in literature. Wenders wanders with the camera across the sprawling terrain in French Barjac, an artistic studio, and simultaneously an exhibition on the verge of entropy. Construction and decay, myth and reality, testimony, and oblivion – these fascinations are evident in Kiefer's creations: multi-story concrete towers and underground tunnels. At the same time, the director allows himself a tender cinematic gesture – the encounter between a young Anselm (played by Wenders' cousin) and the esteemed artist.
Born in Düsseldorf in 1945, Wim Wenders is one of the most important film auteurs of modern times, a Palme d'Or winner at Cannes for Paris, Texas and a Golden Lion winner at Venice for The State of Things. Known for a poetic style that works well both in feature films and in documentaries.
1974 Alicja w miastach / Alice in der Städten / Alice in the Cities
1984 Paryż, Teksas / Paris, Texas
1987 Niebo nad Berlinem / Der Himmel über Berlin / Wings of Deisre
1994 Lisbon Story
2005 Nie wracaj w te strony / Don't Come Knocking
2014 Sól ziemi / Le sel de la terre / The Salt of the Earth (doc.)
2023 Anselm (doc.)