Faraway, So Close! (1993) In weiter Ferne, so nah! (original title)

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writers:

Wim Wenders (writer)
Richard Reitinger (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

21 December 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Drama | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

A group of angels in the German capital look longingly upon the life of humans. |

Plot Keywords:

Angel | Sequel | Post Cold War | Afterlife | German Reunification

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Otto Sander	...	Cassiel
Bruno Ganz	...	Damiel
Mikhail Gorbachev	...	Als Gast (as Michail S. Gorbatschow)
Nastassja Kinski	...	Raphaela
Martin Olbertz	...	Sterbender
Aline Krajewski	...	Raissa
Monika Hansen	...	Hanna / Gertrud Becker
Rüdiger Vogler	...	Phillip Winter
Heinz Rühmann	...	Konrad
Tilmann Vierzig	...	Der Junge Konrad
Hanns Zischler	...	Dr. Becker
Antonia Westphal	...	Die Junge Hanna
Ingo Schmitz	...	Anton Becker
Günter Meisner	...	Fälscher
Sascha Wohlatz	...	Jugendlicher
Lasse Lehmann	...	Jugendlicher
Marcel Jelinski	...	Jugendlicher
Nils Schildhauer	...	Jugendlicher
Patrick Winz	...	Jugendlicher
Benjamin Winz	...	Jugendlicher
Camilla Pontabry	...	Doria
Solveig Dommartin	...	Marion
Frédéric Darie	...	Maurice (as Frederic Darie)
Jean-Marie Rase	...	Jules
Lajos Kovács	...	Lali (as Lajos Kovacs)
Bruno Krief	...	Paul
Armance Brown	...	Paula
Henri Alekan	...	Kapitän
Peter Falk	...	Himself
Hugues Delforge	...	Les Elastonautes
Claude Poncelet	...	Les Elastonautes
Susanne Jansen	...	Frau in der Galerie
Bob Rutman	...	Künstler
Yella Rottländer	...	Winters Engel
Alexander Hauff	...	Taxifahrer
Horst Buchholz	...	Tony Baker
Andrzej Pieczynski	...	Czomsky
Natan Fyodorovsky	...	Russe (as Natan Fedorowskij)
Ronald Nitschke	...	Patzke
Louis Cochet	...	Louis
Lou Reed	...	Himself
Willem Dafoe	...	Emit Flesti
Johanna Penski	...	Blumenfrau
Steffi Hiller	...	Passant
Eberhard Knappe	...	Passant
Shefqet Namani	...	Hütchenspieler
Klaus-Jürgen Steinmann	...	Polizist
Matthias Zelic	...	Verkäufer
Nadja Engel	...	Frau mit der Ohrfeige
Daniela Nasimcova	...	Engel (as Daniela Nasincova)
Gunter Kelm	...	Museumswärter
Heinz-Peter Graubaum	...	Museumswärter
Claude Lergenmüller	...	Andre
Melanie Pontabry	...	Melanie
Alfred Sczczot	...	Grumpy
Udo Samel	...	Sicherheitsbeamter
Gerd Wameling	...	Sicherheitsbeamter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Farrell	...	Patient in Coma (uncredited)

Directed by
Wim Wenders

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Reitinger		writer
Wim Wenders		writer
Ulrich Zieger

Produced by
Ulrich Felsberg	....	producer
Michael Schwarz	....	line producer
Wim Wenders	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurent Petitgand
Graeme Revell		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Jürgen Jürges

Film Editing by
Peter Przygodda

Production Design by
Albrecht Konrad

Art Direction by
Martin Schreiber

Costume Design by
Esther Walz

Makeup Department
Christine Atar	....	makeup artist
Jeannette Latzelsberger	....	assistant makeup artist
Valeska Schitthelm	....	additional makeup artist
Hasso von Hugo	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Karsten Brünig	....	unit production manager
Udo Heiland	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Scott Kirby	....	first assistant director
Anyon Rey	....	second assistant director
Caroline Veyssière	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Peter Falk	....	original artwork
Michael Fechner	....	property master
Andreas Olshausen	....	construction coordinator
Wolfgang Osterholzer	....	carpenter
Martin Schreiber	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer
Gunther Kortwich	....	sound
Hans-Walter Kramski	....	sound effects
Michael Kranz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthias Lempert	....	sound effects
Bernd Schmidl	....	sound effects
Andreas Walther	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Michael Luppino	....	special effects
Gerd Nefzer	....	special effects (as Gerd Feuchter)
Uli Nefzer	....	special effects supervisor (as Ulrich Nefzer)

Visual Effects by
Morten McAdams	....	matte painter
Morten McAdams	....	optical effects
Frank Schlegel	....	optical effects
Hubert von Seidlein	....	matte painter

Stunts
Clemans Bail	....	stunts
François Doge	....	stunt coordinator
Jean-Claude Houbart	....	stunts
Hardy Martins	....	stunts
Denis Wyss	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Hagen Bogdanski	....	assistant second camera
Jürgen Bosse	....	gaffer
Stefan Breitel	....	lighting technician
Benjamin Dernbecher	....	assistant second camera
Jost Engelmayer	....	lighting technician
Martin Fischer	....	additional electrician
Paul Freuer	....	additional electrician
Claus Gerling	....	dolly grip
Judith Kaufmann	....	second camera
Ralf Leistl	....	assistant second camera
Andreas Neubauer	....	still photographer
Martina Radwan	....	Steadicam assistant
Martina Radwan	....	assistant second camera
Ronald Schwarz	....	best boy
Marco Teuchert	....	lighting technician
Jörg Widmer	....	Steadicam operator
Jörg Widmer	....	first assistant camera

Animation Department
Peter Tabbert	....	computer animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marianne Birck	....	wardrober
Andrea Schirmer	....	wardrober
Ingrid Weiss	....	wardrober

Music Department
Klaus Bölitz	....	sound engineer
David Darling	....	musician: cello solo
Irene Maas	....	musician: soprano voice
Orchester Sherry Bertram	....	studio orchestra
Jane Siberry	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Peter Bartoschek	....	title designer
Waltraud Bartoschek	....	title designer
Karsten Bruening	....	first recording manager
Daniel Ganz	....	script editor
Steffi Hiller	....	production accountant
Anton Klima	....	aerial coordinator
Katrin Mehlhop	....	continuity
Paul Meyer-Gerlt	....	assistant accountant
Gerd Nefzer	....	weapons (as Gerd Feuchter)
Karl Nefzer	....	weapons
Ralph Remstedt	....	second recording manager
Lothar Trolle	....	script editor

Thanks
Curt Bois	....	dedicatee
Heinz-Dieter Bonsmann	....	thanks
Alfred Sczczot	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Bioskop Film
• Road Movies Filmproduktion

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sony Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Bac Films (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinemussy (Spain)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• EDKO Film (Hong Kong)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Ripley's Home Video (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• Tobis Filmkunst (Germany)

Also Known As:

"In weiter Ferne, so nah!" - Germany (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language

Runtime:

144 min | USA:140 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | French | English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:6 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Bioskop Film

Trivia:

The name of the circus company boat is "Alekhan", the name of the captain character, Henri Alekan, who was the cinematographer on _Wings of Desire (1987)_.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Cassiel meets Anton Becker and returns to Angelo's pizzeria, he meets Emit Flesti and Damiel puts his flour stained hands on Flesti's shoulder, leaving a white mark on the black suit. The next time we see Flesti, moments later, there is no white mark.

Quotes:

Emit Flesti:Let me explain a couple of things. Time is short. That's the first thing. For the weasel, Time is a weasel. For the hero, Time is heroic. For the whore, Time is just another trick. If you're gentle, your Time is gentle. If you're in a hurry, Time flies. Time is a servant, if you are its master. Time is your god, if you are its dog. We are the creators of Time, the victims of Time, and the killers of Time. Time is timeless. That's the second thing. You are the clock, Cassiel.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in U2: The Best of 1990-2000 (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tightrope

A Wonderful Cinematic Experience

Although it has received mixed reviews by critics, this follow-u= p to "Der Himmel über Berlin" (1987) is a deeply moving and beautiful film. Wen= ders explores the polarities which exist in a newly unified Berlin and in so doing examines some of the polarities which exist in life itself. As "Cassiel," Otto Sander has given us another endearing Wenders protagonis= t who learns all too quickly about what life (and time) can present upon a= n individual. Laurent Petitgand's stunning musical score enhances the subl= ime images photographed by Jürgen Jürges. Although "Der Himmel über Be= rlin" (1987), is an almost mandetory pre-requisit, "In weiter Ferne, so nah!"= (1993) is a vastly different film which proves itself in its own right.= Cinema has produced many wonderful films over the past century or so, bu= t when looking at the various elements of film combined here, there is no other movie which touches me quite so positively, quite as deeply as thi= s one.