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The young Wenders started his artistic journey wanting to be a painter, intentionally seeking "a pretty lonesome life." But when he discovered the excitement of composing images on film instead of a canvas, he was drawn into a world in which collaboration was essential.

"I think through [making] movies, I became somebody else," he said. "You'll see a lot of traces of these characters in my films: Slowly they come to terms with the world, and they have encounters, and they are longing to belong to a different context, both physically and spiritually. As I look back at my movies, that is the story of my life."

And as I look back at his movies, I see a man who gazes unflinchingly at the world in all of its beauty and ugliness. Wenders' characters are never towering heroes; they are broken people, racked with and ravaged by sin. But occasionally, when they humble themselves, grace moves through them—and the hand of an invisible God becomes apparent.

For an extended exploration of Wenders' work, visit Looking Closer. For more on Wim Wenders, visit his official website.

, an occasional feature at Christianity Today Movies, highlights directors who adhere to the Christian faith—sometimes strongly, sometimes loosely, and sometimes somewhere in between. This series will include everyone from biblically-minded evangelicals to directors who may only have a "church background" and perhaps a lapsed faith … but their films are clearly informed by their spiritual history.

© Jeffrey Overstreet 2006, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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