New Delhi: For German filmmaker Wim Wenders, India was the one place that “fell off the map.” His films, too, have had limited exposure in India despite being celebrated as world-cinema classics. Now, at 79, he’s finally set to arrive—and fans are overjoyed.
The Oscar-nominated director, who built his reputation on iconic road movies like Kings of the Road (1976), will travel across the country from 5 February to 1 March. He’ll showcase his work—from his earliest feature films to his latest 3D documentary—at public events and engage with film students and the wider film community.
His tour, titled ‘Wim Wenders – King of the Road – The India Tour’, is organised by the Wim Wenders Foundation and Goethe-Institut Mumbai.
The retrospective will feature 18 films, including The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1971), Alice in the Cities (1974), Paris, Texas (1984), The End of Violence (1997), Pina (2011), and Anselm (2023). Screenings will take place in five cities: Mumbai, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, and Delhi.
The announcement was made on the X handle of Film Heritage Foundation today.
Legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders comes to India for the first time! "Wim Wenders – King of the Road – The India Tour" Feb 5 – March 1, 2025 in association with the Wim Wenders Stiftung (Wim Wenders Foundation) and in collaboration with @goethemumbai pic.twitter.com/G1wTnn628j
— Film Heritage Foundation (@FHF_Official) January 10, 2025
Another announcement on Instagram said that the screenings are “open to the general public on a first come, first served basis” and that further details will be shared soon.
Fans have responded with excitement, but not everyone is satisfied—on Instagram, one fan pleaded, “Schedule in Chennai, please.”
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‘A blessing’
The announcement of the Wim Wenders India tour has unleashed a wave of fan enthusiasm, with several directing praise expressing their gratitude to the film foundation for turning their dreams into reality.
“Woahhhhhhhhhhhhh what a blessing this is… it is like some Baba ji is coming finally for a direct interaction,” a comment on Instagram read.
“This is hugggee…Thank you so much,” another said.
On X, fan @gajendra_05 vowed: “We will stand in lines, get up really early, attend all screenings, do whatever it takes to meet him.”
@whyhemant We will stand in lines, get up really early, attend all screenings, do whatever it takes to meet him.
— Gajendra (@gajendra_05) January 10, 2025
Another fan, @j_chitrakshi, said: “Thank you so much! Whoever is responsible for this.”
Meanwhile, @ankrutik called Film Heritage Foundation the “real MVP (most valuable player).”
Wenders’ latest feature film, the Oscar-nominated Perfect Days (2023), however, will not be screened during the retrospective tour.
The Film Heritage Foundation previously hosted filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore in 2024 and Christopher Nolan in 2020 in India.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)