One of the most important directors on the international scene, Wenders first came to prominence with films that focused on postwar Germany and the Americanization of its culture; the rootlessness of his characters also addresses some deeper, philosophical concerns.

This was certainly true of his first, critically praised feature, The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1971), which he followed with an adaptation of The Scarlet Letter (1972).

His three "road movies" of the 1970s (Wenders' own production company is called Road Movies), Alice in the Cities (1974), Wrong Move (1975), and the mammoth Kings of the Road (1976), deal with these issues and also convey Wenders' deep love of cinema and rock and roll.

The American Friend (1977) featured American actor Dennis Hopper along with appearances by Wenders' directorial heroes Nicholas Ray and Samuel Fuller.

“Any movie that has that spirit and says things can be changed is worth making. ”

When Wenders finally came to the country that had intrigued him so much, things didn't go at all smoothly; his film Hammett begun in 1978, was considerably altered after many conflicts with his producer, Francis Ford Coppola. It was finally released in 1983. (He drew on that harrowing experience for his 1982 movie The State of Things which offered a bleak look at filmmaking.) Wenders also collaborated with Ray on a choppy film depicting Ray's final battle with cancer, Lightning Over Water (1980).

Wenders won worldwide acclaim for 1984's Paris, Texas the story of a drifter making peace with his turbulent past, including a son he's never known; the film earned the Palme D'Or at Cannes.

Wenders then returned to Germany to direct Wings of Desire (1988), a fable of angels hovering over Berlin; one of them falls in love with a circus acrobat and forsakes his immortal status, taking corporeal form to join her on Earth.

A brilliant film that combines the fantastic appeal of Powell and Pressburger's Stairway to Heaven with a poetic, contemporary sensibility, Wings was roundly praised and earned Wenders a Best Director award at Cannes.

Wenders worked on a couple of documentary projects before beginning his most ambitious production, 1991's Until the End of the World a science-fiction drama shot in more than five countries and featuring an international cast led by William Hurt.

In 1993 he surprised admirers by making a sequel to Wings of Desire called Faraway, So Close! with key original cast members reprising their roles.

Wenders has also made unconventional documentaries over the years, including the visual diary Tokyo-Ga (1985), a tribute to filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, and Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989), ostensibly a profile of Yohji Yamamoto.

He directed a music video for U2 called "Night and Day." -- Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia