The auteur filmmaker accepted the award on Friday evening at the celebratory start of the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival in the national theater of the Bosnian capital, as the festival’s press office announced.
“We are more than happy to be able to pay tribute to one of the central personalities of world cinema,” said festival director Mirsad Purivatra at the ceremony.
“As an outstanding filmmaker, Wim Wenders always charms his audience with unforgettable stories and emotions.” A retrospective is dedicated to the 76-year-old as part of the festival, and he will also lead a master class in the coming days.
The Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) was created in 1995 during the Serbian siege of the city in the Bosnian War. It expressed the protests of filmmakers and civilians against nationalism and war. In the meantime it has developed into the most important film festival in Southeast Europe. The focus today is primarily on Southeast European film.
The main prize Heart of Sarajevo (Srce Sarajeva) is awarded in several categories. The honorary award went to Robert De Niro (2016), Oliver Stone (2017) and Isabelle Huppert (2019), among others. In 2011, Wenders presented his 3-D documentary “Pina” at the Sarajevo Film Festival. He immortalized the Tanztheater Wuppertal under the direction of the legendary choreographer Pina Bausch (1940-2009). (SDA)