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Wim Wenders

"Cinema must portray real life"

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- After three films about music, the German director’s next film is a western. He’s also this year’s president of the Caméra d’Or

Wim Wenders, Europe’s most “American” directors, a true citizen of the world has spent most of his professional life in Europe and the U.S. searching for the horizons of his imagination, for cities inhabited by angels on the edge of the world. He has homes in Berlin and Los Angeles. “I hate the political stance of the Bush administration, but have learned to distinguish between the government and the people,” said Wenders. Thus his latest-but-one film is about a German rock band from Cologne and his latest one is all-American. About the blues: twelve lines repeated ad infinitum, three chords and a voice that narrates what the world is all about. The film is part of a much wider ambitious project where seven directors, including Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese, will portray blues. Wenders got the ball rolling.

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“Martin Scorsese talked to me about his project of his some five years ago and I liked what I heard because although I have often said that rock music saved my life, rock was generated by blues. So it follows that first and foremost, I am still here thanks to blues,” said the director who resembles a nuclear physicist who’s borrowed Bono’s glasses. “I decided to tell the story of three little-known musicians, Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James and J.B Lenoir because they’re my favourites. While making the film I got to know these musicians better. This film is the final part of a sort of B-movie trilogy of mine: little films about the music business. I won’t be making any more because people might end up thinking that is all I am capable of. Sam Shepard wrote a story that I will direct and he will star in, entitled Don’t Come Knocking. A 21st century western that we’ll make on location in Montana this summer.”

Wenders is also this year’s president of the Caméra d’Or jury in Cannes: “I want films that are full of history instead of special effects. I want real life and not a stylised imitataion. I’ve had it up to here with great style.”

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