Anselm by Wim Wenders: plot, review, documentary

Fire, metal, earth, matter, colours. Photographs, memories, various fragments, free words, archive material… And above all the grandiose and shocking work of art by Anselm Kiefer in its making infinite, provisional, eternal.

Presented out of competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (Perfect Days was in competition and won the Best Actor Award) arrived in theaters for Lucky Red. Anselm by Wim Wenders is the lively and poetic documentary not to be missed on the big screen, possibly in 3D!

The life, art, thought of the German genius Anselm Kiefer. Wim Wenders uses an anomalous form to cinematically narrate the master’s works and their genesis. Let Kiefer himself tell his story (unlike other documentaries of the past we never hear Wenders’ “voice”.). We witness the creation or the final result. In some fragments set in the past Anselm-child is played by Wenders’ son, Anton. While Anselm-young adult is played by Kiefer’s son, Daniel.

We also review masterpieces of yesteryear that have tried to focus on the removed German from the Nazi past, the controversial series of surreal photographs in which Kiefer himself provocatively gave the Roman salute. Wenders manages to give light, voice and gaze to each of the artist’s works.

Magnificent, immersive and dark. Like a work by Kiefer or, confidentially, Anselm. Wim Wenders seems to let himself be guided by the artist’s work. As if animated by the kaos that finds its own kosmos, the director it supports the disorder of pictorial art in cinematic storytelling. An anomalous story with leaps in time: we start from today’s works and go back in time, then back to today.

“The kaos delimited in rectangular borders it’s the painting, the work of art!» Kiefer effectively observes. And so does Anselm, the Wendersian film about him, in the rectangle of the screen. Fragments of words, various contexts, flames burning enormous paintings.

Painted sky and earth seem tangible to the eye. Almost like the angels of The sky above Berlin: from another dimension, yet extremely human, vividly concrete. Grand and elusive artistic creation has never seemed so within reach of perception.

The exhibition is visible in Italy almost simultaneously with the release of Wim Wenders’ documentary Anselm Kiefer. Fallen Angels. The exhibition of works dedicated to a theme also dear to the German director, namely angels, can be visited at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence until July 21st.

The documentary will be released in theaters on May 6th Room 999 by Lubna Playoust inspired by the Wendersian doc Room 666 (1982). The author reflects on the state of health of cinema. Is fine? Is he sick? He died? It tries to give multiple answers and further questions with interviews with Wenders himself and with David Cronenberg, Olivier Assayas, Paolo Sorrentino, Alice Rohrwacher and many other authors.

We recommend you check out three recent documentaries by Wim Wenders: Pina (2011, currently out of print in Italy, available on DVD imported into Europe), The salt of the earth (2014, streaming on Prime Video) e Pope Francis – A man of his word (2018, available for purchase and rental on Rakuten TV, Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video).

Also worth seeing Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow by Sophie Fiennes (2010, currently not available in Italy, available on DVD imported into Europe), Venice – Infinite avant-garde by Michele Mally (2022, visible in streaming on Prime Video and Nexo).