German filmmaker Wim Wenders, known for classics such as Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire, and Perfect Days, shared his deep admiration for India and filmmaker Satyajit Ray at a masterclass here, where he described the country as a “beautiful myth.” On his maiden trip to India as part of the five-city King of the Road – India Tour, which features screenings of 18 of his films, Wenders spoke about his admiration for Ray and India during a discussion on Thursday evening at the packed, 1,000-plus-seater Regal Cinema in South Mumbai.
Recalling his early cinematic explorations, the director recounted how he first encountered the world of movies in Paris and was introduced to Indian cinema and Ray’s work there.
“I started to watch movies at the Cinémathèque because it was the cheapest cinema… So, first, I saw one film, then two films a day, and finally, I saw everything they had — it was the entire world of cinema. I saw a huge number of Indian films with subtitles. Later on, I realized Satyajit Ray was one of the great filmmakers of his generation, and he was still alive,” Wenders said.
The Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), in association with the Wim Wenders Stiftung and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai, has organized the retrospective on the legendary filmmaker, who will travel to different cities in India and interact with fans.
Wenders said he met Ray at the 1973 Berlin Film Festival, where Ray’s film Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder) was screened.
The 79-year-old director, who has garnered acclaim for films such as Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire, and Pina, said he quite literally “looked up to” Ray.
“I met him, and I was amazed at how tall he was — he’s one of the few filmmakers I had to look up to,” Wenders said, adding that he had a long conversation with Ray, whom he described as “gentle and kind.”
“He was very kind and gentle, looking down at me and answering all my questions. My heart was pounding, but I was amazed that he took the time to respond to everything I asked.
“He was such a gentleman. I saw his film the next day, and when he won the award, I was very proud that I had spoken to him. I had already made Alice in the Cities, so I felt like a filmmaker myself.”
Wenders said he faced challenges in accessing Ray’s films at the time, as video rentals and streaming services were not widely available.
“It was very difficult to see more of his work,” he said, adding that he had to travel, attend retrospectives, and collect Ray’s movies through various formats — from cassettes to VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray.
“…It wasn’t easy to see more of Satyajit Ray’s films, but I managed to watch a lot of them. I bought them in every format they were available in.”
For Wenders, India has always represented a “beautiful myth.” He had long considered visiting the country, and when FHF reached out to him, he couldn’t say no.
“India is such a myth for me. Another myth I followed was America, which indeed turned out to be a myth. I was scared that India would turn out the same way, so I kept its beautiful myth intact in my mind and told myself, ‘One day I’ll go.’
“And then you (Shivendra Dungarpur) showed up. I realized that I had to follow through. India is so mythical for a German boy who read Rudyard Kipling at 10 — India was a big thing for me. I was shy and scared, hoping the myth wouldn’t shatter like others had.”
Wenders also expressed his admiration for American filmmaker James Cameron, particularly for his use of technology in filmmaking. He credited Cameron’s groundbreaking work in 3D cinema, especially with his 2009 science fiction film Avatar, for reshaping his understanding of storytelling in a three-dimensional space.
“James Cameron showed a lot — he also focused on action, and there are a lot of wars going on in Avatar, at least towards the end. I was a little pissed off that he couldn’t think of a better way to conclude the story of those beautiful people — the blue guys and girls.
“In the end, it was Star Wars all over again, and that annoyed me. But I still think he’s a fantastic filmmaker. Even Avatar: The Way of Water— it’s a film about education, about how to deal with your teenage children. That’s what the film is really about. It’s courageous, and he demonstrated the poetic potential of 3D,” Wenders said.
His own exploration into 3D filmmaking was inspired by the 2008 concert film U2 3D, which gave him insight into how space could be utilised to enhance storytelling in his 2011 film Pina, a tribute to the German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch.
“After watching that stupid film, I figured I could use 3D to make a movie with Pina. At the end of the film, I called her and said, ‘Now I know how to do it.’ And she said, ‘Yes,’” the director recalled.
The retrospective, which runs from February 5 to 23 across five cities, will celebrate Wenders’ extraordinary career and vast filmography.
Published – February 07, 2025 12:28 pm IST
