Anselm (film)

Anselm (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. 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.

Synopsis
Described as "immersive", 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.

Cast

 * Anselm Kiefer as Anselm
 * Daniel Kiefer as Anselm (young man)
 * Anton Wenders as Anselm (child)

Production
Karsten Brünig produced the documentary for Road Movies Filmproduktion.

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, in Germany, France and Italy. 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."

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

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

Anselm was theatrically released in Germany by DCM on 12 October 2023, and in France by Les Films du losange on 18 October 2023. U.S. distribution rights were acquired by Sideshow and Janus Films.

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." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 24 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".