Editing Wim Wenders (section)

== Early life and education ==
Wenders was born in [[Düsseldorf]] into a traditionally Catholic family. His father, Heinrich Wenders, was a surgeon. The Dutch name "Wim" is a shortened version of the baptismal name "Wilhelm". As a boy, Wenders took unaccompanied trips to [[Amsterdam]] to visit the [[Rijksmuseum]]. He graduated from high school in [[Oberhausen]] in the [[Ruhr area]]. He then studied medicine at the [[University of Freiburg]] (1963–64) and philosophy at the [[Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf|University of Dusseldorf]] (1964–65), but dropped out and moved to Paris in October 1966 in order to become a painter.<ref name="Biography">{{cite web |title=Wim Wenders |url=http://www.polkagalerie.com/en/wim-wenders-biography.htm |website=polkagalerie.com |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref> He failed his entry test at France's national film school, [[Institut des hautes études cinématographiques|IDHEC]] (now [[La Fémis]]), and instead became an engraver at [[Johnny Friedlaender]]'s studio in [[Montparnasse]].<ref name="Biography" /> During this time he became fascinated with cinema, and saw up to five movies a day at the local movie theater.

Set on making his obsession his life's work, he returned to Germany in 1967 to work in the Düsseldorf office of [[United Artists]]. That fall, he entered the [[University of Television and Film Munich]] (HFF).<ref name="Biography" /> Between 1967 and 1970, while at the HFF, he also worked as a film critic for ''FilmKritik'', the Munich daily newspaper ''[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]'', ''[[Twen]]'' magazine, and ''[[Der Spiegel]]''.<ref name="Biography" />

Wenders completed several short films before graduating from the Hochschule with a [[16 mm film|16mm]] black-and-white film, ''[[Summer in the City (film)|Summer in the City]]'' (1970), his feature directorial debut.