Wim Wenders
“Pope
Francis: A Man of His Word”
Interview
with Kam Williams
The
Three-Time Oscar-Nominee Delivers a Reflective Homily
Wim
Wenders came to international prominence as one of the pioneers of
the New German Cinema during the Seventies and is considered one of
the most important figures in contemporary German film. In addition
to his many prize-winning feature films, his work as a scriptwriter,
director, producer, photographer and author also encompasses an
abundance of innovative documentary films, international photo
exhibitions and numerous monographs, film books and prose
collections.
Wim
lives and works in Berlin, together with his wife, Donata Wenders. He
studied medicine and philosophy before moving to Paris in 1966 to
study painting. Though ostensibly pursuing an apprenticeship in the
studio of the graphic designer and engraver Johnny Friedlaender, he
spent his afternoons and evenings in the Cinémathèque Francaise.
This “crash course in the history of film” would become the most
important stage in his education, as he soon began to think of film
as an “extension of painting by other means.”
Wim's
career as a filmmaker began in 1967, when he enrolled at the newly
founded University of Television and Film Munich. While studying
there, he also worked as a film critic. Upon graduating from the
academy, he founded, together with 15 other directors and authors,
the Filmverlag der Autoren, a film distribution company for German
auteur films, which organized the production, rights administration
and distribution of their own independent films.
He
proceeded to embark on an impressive career, during which he has
netted a trio of Academy Award nominations for three feature-length
documentaries: Pina, The Salt of the Earth and Buena Vista Social
Club. Here, he talks about his new film, Pope
Francis: A Man of His Word, a poignant portrait of the People's
Pontiff.
Kam
Williams: Hi
Wim, I'm honored to have this opportunity for an interview.
WW:
I’m
happy to do it, Kam.
KW:
What
interested you in Pope Francis?
WW:
Already, his choice of name blew me away. It
takes a lot of courage to take up the name of one of the great
reformers and saints of the church, Saint Francis. It stands for a
real and radical solidarity with the poor and the outcast, for an
entirely different and new attitude towards nature and “our Sister
Mother Earth,” as he called our planet tenderly, as well as for a
strong stance in creating peace among the religions. No pope had ever
dared to address that legacy, and adopting the name of Francis meant
nothing less. From the beginning, Pope Francis made it clear that
he’s willing to stand up for all these issues and take them all
utterly seriously.
KW:
How were you able to gain access to him?
WW:
That
came along with the invitation. You know, it would not have crossed
my mind to make a film with Pope Francis, if the Vatican hadn’t
approached me, asking if I’d be open to discussing that very task.
All filmmakers probably take it for granted that this would be an
impossible thing to ask, so they don’t even ask. I guess that’s
why Dario Viganò, at the time Prefect of the Secretariat for
Communication, wrote that letter to me, asking me if I could imagine
making a film about Pope Francis, and if I could possibly come by and
talk about it. I was flabbergasted, yes, but I definitely could
imagine it, yes, as well. When we then talked, it became clear that
he meant a film that I would develop on my own, that we would have to
find independent financing for, [no, this is not a Vatican
production] that I could indeed shoot with access to Pope Francis,
and that I would also have full access to the Vatican’s archives.
And finally, that this should be entirely my film, and that the
Vatican was not going to interfere with it. How could I resist?
KW:
How
much traveling did you do with him?
WW:
I
only shot the long interviews sessions with Pope Francis, the
re-enactments involving Saint Francis, and everything around the city
of Assisi. Traveling along would have completely blown up our small
and modest budget. For all the travel footage, I had access to the
Vatican archive and to the footage produced by the two really great
cameramen who follow Pope Francis on all his journeys. And we used
footage from TV stations from all over the world as well.
KW:
Did you
find his dedication to the poor to be authentic?
WW:
No
question about it, definitely. He lives and impersonates this
dedication. And he makes it clear that he’s not just asking us to
consider getting by with less, he does show how it can be done,
giving an example by refusing to live in the luxurious apartment
where all his predecessors lived and by refusing to drive in big
limousines. His modesty and humble appearance are not a show. He IS
that person and doesn’t have to fake his dedication to and
affection for the poor. It is genuine, and he proved that already,
from when he was a young priest and then a bishop.
KW:
Do you
think that he has raised the bar for popes in terms of following in
Christ's footsteps?
WW:
Yes.
By following the example of Saint Francis, who did the very same in
his time, really revitalizing the figure of Christ back then. Many
thousands of young men soon followed him.
KW:
What
message do you think people will take away from the film?
WW:
Of
course, this is up to each and everybody. But Pope Francis has an
enormous emotional power of conviction and of reaching people deeply.
With his contagious optimism and positive outlook on life, on
spirituality, on our ability to change the world for the better, I
haven’t seen anybody who could resist his appeal. I’ve seen
non-believers, even hardcore atheists, deeply moved by his words and
his sincerity. They all agreed how much truth there is in Pope
Francis’ simple message of fraternity and mutual respect.
KW:
What
was the last book you read?
WW:
The
last book by Richard Rohr, “The Divine Dance.”
KW:
Ling-Ju Yen asks: What
is your earliest childhood memory?
WW:
[Laughs]
I must have been 3 or 4, coming out of a church service with my
parents, holding what I thought was my father’s hand. But when I
looked up to ask him something, I saw to my utmost scare, that a
stranger was looking down at me. He was smiling and pointed back, and
there were my parents following us, laughing. Especially my mother
continued giggling forever, and I was mad at her for that. I didn’t
think that was funny. Actually, I had nightmares over that situation,
and maybe I even remember these nightmares more than the actual
event.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
WW:
I’m
a hopeless cook. Apart from pasta with ready-made sauces, please, or
a vegetable soup, I can’t handle any dish. However, I’m a
dedicated breakfast cook, doing all sorts of eggs to perfection, from
boiled exactly the way you want them, to poached to scrambled to
sunny side up to omelets and even soufflés.
KW:
Sherry
Gillam would like to know what is the most important life lesson
you've learned so far?
WW:
As a young man, Sherry, I came close to death
once. In fact, for myself, I had accepted that I was about to die. I
entered a realm of light and sheer joy and only remember that my last
thought was, “If only I could tell my parents that they don’t
have to be sad!” And the next thing I remember was waking up in an
all white hospital room, glad when I understood I was still alive,
but also with a strange taste of being almost disappointed. I can
safely say that, ever since, I have not been afraid of death. Later,
I accompanied my father during the last months of his life, and
seeing him face his death with full consciousness, almost looking
forward to it, confirmed my absence of fear. And my faith.
KW:
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?
WW:
A
man of seventy-two years old, somehow resembling my father more and
more as I get older, but with big bags under my eyes, like my mother
had.
KW:
What's
the craziest thing you've ever done?
WW:
A
film called “Until the End of the World.” A sci-fi road movie
that literally made us travel around the globe, took about one year
altogether, and was so stressful and demanding that not all of the
crew members had the strength to go “until the end.” It was also
a love story, except that the two actors playing that loving couple
didn’t even speak to each other anymore. It was hard on everybody,
on everybody’s family, too. And when we finally had arrived at the
finish line, we were all at the end of our ropes. I swore to never
repeat anything like it, even if I’m quite proud of the film as
such.
KW:
If you
could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
WW:
For
others or for myself? If it could be for others, I’d need to know
for how many. If the wish were just for myself, I’d say: More time!
A couple of extra hours every day would be great. Or an extra day per
week, especially if that time came with the condition of not working.
When God rested on the seventh day and recommended it – better,
ordered it – He knew what He was doing. It is just such a hard
thing to keep in the digital age. Our time is being stolen from under
our feet.
KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone
would?
WW:
I’m
looking forward both to the question and to the answer. But I’m not
going to spoil it before! But hey, how about someone asking me if I’d
like a dark chocolate sorbet?
KW:
Finally,
like Samuel L. Jackson asks in the TV ads, what’s in your wallet?
WW:
Taxi
receipts. Wait, I just need to look. The insurance paper for my
e-bike. And money. Boring.
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Wim, and best of luck with the film.
WW:
After
each of our two-hour sessions, before leaving,
Pope
Francis always said to the entire crew, “Please pray for me.” Who
needs luck when you can have a prayer!
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