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Wim Wenders received the 2024 FIAF Award as the guest of honor at the Budapest Classics Film Marathon on Thursday at the Uránia National Film Theater in the capital.
The gala was hosted by the National Film Institute – Film Archives, member of the international federation since 1955.
Csaba Káel, the government commissioner responsible for the development of the film industry, stressed that Wim Wenders is a leading figure in contemporary cinema, who, as well as being a filmmaker and photographer, is also doing much to ensure that the stories of the past can inspire future generations.
Preserving film heritage is not only a pleasure, but also a responsibility,
the politician highlighted, adding that it is also a key to the sustainability of culture, as it is our shared responsibility to pass on our cinematographic heritage as richly as possible.
Once a year, the International Federation of Film Archives celebrates a film personality whose experience and personal commitment in the field of cinema underlines the missions of the FIAF, by presenting them with an award.
This year, the award was presented by Tiago Baptista, Secretary-General of the organization, who stressed that this year Wim Wenders was awarded the prize
in recognition of his long-standing commitment to cinema and its history, and his work in the field of cinema, heritage and the preservation of cinema.
After receiving the award, Wim Wenders thanked the FIAF for the award, which he described as a great honor. He recalled that over the years he had spent a lot of time in film institutes around the world. He stressed that it was then that he realized that he had a burning desire to know and learn more about cinema.
In these archives, he noted, the great treasure of the 20th century, which we call cinema, is preserved and passed on to future generations.
There is no better way to teach history than to learn about the history of film,”
he underlined. The director emphasized that he has spent hundreds of hours watching films, that for him film is a complex language, a new art form, and that he sees film as the most comprehensive art form.
The award ceremony was followed by a screening of Wenders’ original film A Trick of the Light, shot with a 100-year-old camera. The film was accompanied by live music by his collaborator Laurent Petitgand on piano, guitar, saxophone, accordion and vocals in the Uránia National Film Theater.
The Budapest Classics Film Marathon took place from September 17 to 22, with screenings at the Uránia National Film Theater, Toldi Cinema, the French Institute in Budapest and the Budapest Music Center, as well as outdoor screenings on St. Stephen’s Square in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica.
Via MTI; Featured image via MTI/Lakatos Péter