Anselm (film)

Anselm (German: Anselm – Das Rauschen der Zeit) is a 2023 German 3D documentary film directed by Wim Wenders, chronicling the art of German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer.^[3] The film had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2023 as a special screening, where it competed for the L'Œil d'or.^[4]

Anselm
Theatrical release poster
German	Anselm – Das Rauschen der Zeit
Directed by	Wim Wenders
Produced by	Karsten Brünig Wim Wenders
Starring	Anselm Kiefer Daniel Kiefer Anton Wenders
Cinematography	Franz Lustig[1]
Edited by	Maxine Goedicke[1]
Music by	Leonard Küßner[1]
Production company	Road Movies
Distributed by	DCM
Release dates	17 May 2023 (2023-05-17) (Cannes) 12 October 2023 (2023-10-12) (Germany)
Running time	93 minutes[1]
Country	Germany
Language	German
Box office	$1.4 million[2]

Synopsis

Described as "immersive",^[5] the film focuses on painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer. The project illuminates his work, life journey, inspiration, creative process, and the artist's fascination with myth and history. The aim is to "blur" the boundary between film and painting.^[6]

Cast

• Anselm Kiefer as Anselm^[1]
• Daniel Kiefer as Anselm (young man)^[5]
• Anton Wenders as Anselm (child)^[5]

Production

Karsten Brünig produced the documentary for Road Movies Filmproduktion.^[7]

Wenders shot the film at 6K resolution and in the 3D format, which he previously utilized for his 2011 documentary Pina. It was shot over the course of two years,^[8] in Germany, France and Italy.^[5] Wenders called the film "a labor of love and turned out to take seven shooting periods and altogether three years to become a film like nothing I've ever done before. I think we stretched the possibilities of 3D into an unknown territory."^[8]

Release

Anselm was selected to be screened in the Special Screenings section at the 76th Cannes Film Festival,^[9] where it had its world premiere on 17 May 2023.^[10] On the same occasion, Wenders also received an invitation to the festival's main competition for his feature film Perfect Days.^[11]

World sales were acquired by HanWay Films. DCM Film Distribution secured the distribution rights for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.^[5] It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'Icon' section and was screened in 6 October 2023.^[12]

Anselm was theatrically released in Germany by DCM on 12 October 2023,^[13] and in France by Les Films du Losange on 18 October 2023.^[6] U.S. distribution rights were acquired by Sideshow and Janus Films.^[8]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Visually thrilling and refreshingly unconventional, Anselm pays mesmerizing tribute to a brilliant artist's life and legacy."^[14] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 24 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[15]

Awards and nominations

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
Cannes Film Festival	27 May 2023	L'Œil d'or	Wim Wenders	Nominated	[4]
CineLibri	20 October 2023	Best Documentary		Won	[16]
IDA Documentary Awards	12 December 2023	Best Cinematography	Franz Lustig	Nominated	[17]
		Best Original Music Score	Leonard Küßner	Won	[18]

References

1. "ANSELM". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
2. "Anselm (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
3. Bray, Catherine (17 May 2023). "'Anselm' Review: Wim Wenders Unveils a Magnificent 3D Portrait of German Artist Anselm Kiefer". Variety. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
4. "Les documentaires à Cannes, découvrez la Sélection 2023 de L'Œil d'or". loeildor.scam.fr (in French). 12 May 2023.
5. Wiseman, Andreas (17 April 2023). "HanWay Boards Wim Wenders 3D Cannes Doc 'Anselm' With Deals For France & Germany In The Bag; First-Look Image & Details". Deadline. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
6. "Anselm" (in French). Les Films du Losange. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
7. Kay, Jeremy (28 June 2023). "Wim Wenders Cannes entry 'Anselm' scores US, international deals". Screen International. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
8. Ritman, Alex (28 June 2023). "Wim Wenders' Cannes-Bowing Doc 'Anselm' Picked Up for U.S. by Sideshow and Janus". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
9. Tartaglione, Nancy (13 April 2023). "Cannes Film Festival Lineup: Haynes, Anderson, Glazer, Kore-Eda, Wenders In Competition – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
10. mraultpauillac (10 May 2023). "The Screenings Guide of the 76th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
11. Brzeski, Patrick (13 April 2023). "Cannes Film Fest Doubles Down on Depps, Wim Wenders and Wang Bing". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
12. "The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List". Busan International Film Festival. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
13. Roxborough, Scott (23 May 2023). "Cannes: DCM Takes Wim Wenders Festival Double Pack for Germany". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
14. "Anselm". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
15. "Anselm". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
16. "Isabel Coixet's Drama "Un Amor" Won the 2023 Cinelibri Grand Prize". CineLibri. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
17. Carey, Matthew (21 November 2023). "'Apolonia, Apolonia,' 'The Mother Of All Lies,' 'Milisuthando' Lead Way As IDA Documentary Awards Announces Nominees – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
18. Morfoot, Addie (12 December 2023). "'Bobi Wine: The People's President' Wins Best Feature at IDA Documentary Awards – Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved 31 December 2023.

External links

• Anselm at IMDb