”Anselm” with Wim Wenders

Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

Both were born in 1945 in Germany during the last year of WWII. Both became giants of the modern German art movement: Anselm Kiefer as a painter and sculptor; Wim Wenders as a filmmaker whose landmark films include “Wings of Desire”, “Paris, Texas” and “The American Friend”. The two had met in 1991 and discussed the possibility of doing a film together, but it wasn’t until the two collaborated on Wenders’ new 3-D documentary “Anselm” that the stars were finally aligned.

Joining Ken on the pod, Wenders paints a picture of this monumental artist whose vast studio spaces are as much works of art as the paintings and sculptures that are housed there. For Wenders, what makes working in 3-D such a crucial element in immersing the audience in these dynamic environments? How has Wenders incorporated elements of fiction into his documentaries and vice versa? And why is it so important to him to create a portrait of the art rather than of the artist? It may have taken over 75 years for these two legendary artists to work together, but the payoff was well worth waiting for.

Hidden Gem:

“Reality Winner”

“Anselm” is released by Sideshow and Janus Films and opens in LA in 3-D at the Laemmle Glendale on December 15.

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