Faraway, So Close!

Original title: In weiter Ferne, so nah!

1993
PG-13
2h 20m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

9.3K

YOUR RATING

Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

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Drama Fantasy Romance

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

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

9.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 4 wins & 7 nominations

Trivia
Mikhail Gorbachev: only appears because his secretary was familiar with the movies of Wim Wenders and was a great admirer. She talked Gorbachev into giving up a couple of hours to do the cameo as he was on a trip to Germany anyway.

Goofs
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.

Crazy credits
The film is dedicated to actor Curt Bois who worked with Wim Wenders in "Der Himmel über Berlin".

Alternate versions
The original running time at the world premiere in Cannes in May 1993 was 165 minutes. Despite winning the 'Grand Prize of the Jury' for this version, the director re-edited the film to make it shorter and improve the narrative. Unfortunately, the original version was never released again, so the Cannes reviews are actually about a slightly different film, than the 146 minutes version we know today.

Connections
Featured in U2: Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (1993)

Soundtracks
Berlin
Written and Performed by Lou Reed

User reviews40

Review

Featured review

8/10

A Celebration of life from Wenders

This film is about passion. A flicker on the eyes of an angel, our brief lives are as unique and intense as they are ephemeral, and time itself is the fire that burn our passions and desires. Complex and multicultural, the film is disturbingly deep as it is light, a contrast of innocence and evil, showing how the Faust compromise can be present and right/wrong can become difficult to define. Also, the participation of Lou Reed and Peter Falk as themselves bring Faust to reality, as a mirror to ourselves. The deeply german Wenders pay a compliment to Gorbatchev for the fall of the Wall, maybe telling us the duality of time, that can be good and evil like the faces of a coin. Wonderful piece of art.