Editing Wings of Desire (section)

==Production==
===Development===
[[File:Berlin Tiergarten Siegessaeule 2.jpg|thumb|Berlin art depicting angels served as an inspiration to the filmmakers.]]
After living and working in the United States for eight years, director [[Wim Wenders]] returned to his native [[West Germany]] and wished to reconnect to it with a film about his favourite part of it, [[West Berlin]].<ref name="KennyWenders"/> Planning to make ''[[Until the End of the World]]'' in 1985, he realised the project would not be ready for two years, and wishing to return to photography as soon as possible, he considered another project.{{sfn|Cook|1997|p=164}}

[[Rainer Maria Rilke]]'s poetry partially inspired the story. Wenders claimed angels seemed to dwell in Rilke's poetry, and the director had also jotted "angels" in his notes one day,<ref name="Wenders">{{cite web |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1290-on-wings-of-desire |title=On Wings of Desire |last=Wenders |first=Wim |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]] |date=9 November 2009 |access-date=5 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807112715/https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1290-on-wings-of-desire |archive-date=7 August 2017 }}</ref> and noted angel-themed artwork in cemeteries and around Berlin.<ref name="KennyWenders">{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Wenders |first2=Wim |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref> In his [[film treatment|treatment]], Wenders also considered a backstory in which God exiled his angels to Berlin as punishment for defending humans after 1945, when God had decided to forsake them.{{sfn|Cook|1997|p=165}}

Wenders employed [[Peter Handke]], who wrote much of the dialogue, the poetic narrations, and the film's recurring poem "Song of Childhood".{{sfn|Detweiler|2017}} Wenders found the names Damiel and [[Cassiel]] in an encyclopedia about angels, and also had photographs of [[Solveig Dommartin]], [[Bruno Ganz]] and [[Otto Sander]] that served as muses.<ref name="Wenders"/> The idea that angels could read minds led to Wenders considering personal dialogue no one would say aloud.<ref name="KennyWenders"/> Wenders did not view the angel protagonist as representative of himself, instead deciding the angel could be an embodiment of film, and that the purpose of film could be to help people by opening their eyes to possibilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13525798.html |title=Das Kino könnte der Engel sein |last=Müller |first=Andre |date=19 October 1987 |access-date=12 September 2017 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] | language= de | url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413233902/http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13525798.html |archive-date=13 April 2016 }}</ref> Handke did not feel able to write a single coherent story, but promised to regularly send notes on ideas during production.<ref name="Handke">{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Handke |first2=Peter |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref> Screenwriter [[Richard Reitinger]] also assisted Wenders in scripting scenes incorporating Handke's contributions.{{sfn|Wenders|1997|p=67}}

Given the nature of this arrangement, Wenders would hold daily meetings with his crew, frequently at late hours, to plan the logistics for the following day.{{sfn|Cook|1997|p=165}} French producer [[Anatole Dauman]] did not see a large budget as necessary,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1994/film/news/wenders-takes-wing-117908/ |title=Wenders takes wing |last=Lerner |first=Dietlind |date=30 January 1994 |access-date=13 August 2017 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807073433/http://variety.com/1994/film/news/wenders-takes-wing-117908/ |archive-date=7 August 2017 }}</ref> and the project was funded with 5 million [[Deutsche Mark|DM]].{{sfn|Lüdi|Lüdi|2000|p=60}}

===Casting===
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
! {{anchor|Cast}}Actor{{sfn|Kolker|Beicken|1993|p=181}}
! Role <!-- or "Character" -->
|-
| {{sortname|Bruno|Ganz}}
| Damiel
|-
| {{sortname|Solveig|Dommartin}}
| Marion
|-
| {{sortname|Otto|Sander}}
| Cassiel
|-
| {{sortname|Curt|Bois}}
| Homer, the aged poet
|-
|-
| {{sortname|Peter|Falk}}
| himself (credited as "Der Filmstar")<ref name="Filmlexikon"/>
|-
| [[Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds]]
| themselves{{sfn|Billingham|2013|p=13}} 
|-
| [[Crime & the City Solution]]
| themselves{{sfn|Fitzpatrick|Roland|2006|p=48}}
|}
Wenders believed it would be important for the actors playing the two main angel characters to be familiar and friendly with each other. Ganz and Sander had performed in some of the same stage productions for 20 years.<ref name="KennyWenders"/> Sander and Ganz also recommended [[Curt Bois]] to Wenders and asked Bois to perform.<ref name="Sander">{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Wenders |first2=Wim |last3=Sander |first3=Otto |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref> Bois' performance as Homer marked his final feature film in an 80-year career, beginning as a child actor.{{sfn|Huda|2004|p=249}}

[[Peter Falk]]'s role was not planned until photography had already begun, with Wenders planning an artist or political official to have an analogous role until assistant [[Claire Denis]] suggested the ''[[Columbo]]'' star would be familiar to everyone.<ref name="Feaster"/> Falk described the part as "the craziest thing that I've ever been offered", but quickly agreed.<ref name="KennyWenders"/> He was accustomed to the improvisation the newly created role required, and when Wenders and Falk met, they conceived ideas of the character sketching and searching for a hat.<ref name="Feaster"/> [[Nick Cave]] and his band were based in West Berlin, with Wenders calling him "a real Berlin hero" and deciding "It was inconceivable for me to make a film in Berlin without showing one of his concerts".{{sfn|Danks|2016|pp=113-114}}

===Filming===
{{multiple image
|align     = right
|direction = vertical 
|image1    = Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Kulturforum) interior.JPG
|image2    = Wilmersdorf Bundesallee Imbiss-001.JPG
|width     = 200px
|footer   =[[Berlin State Library]] and other spots around West Berlin were filming locations.}}
The film was shot by [[Henri Alekan]],{{sfn|Kilbourn|2013|p=237}} whose cinematography represents the angels' point of view in monochrome, as they cannot see colours, and switches to colour to show the human point of view. During filming, Alekan used a very old and fragile silk stocking that had belonged to his grandmother as a filter for the monochromatic sequences,{{sfn|Hurbis-Cherrier|2012|p=277}} in order to depict the angels' muted view of the world.<ref name="Singer">{{cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/five-visual-themes-wings-desire-wim-wenders-immortal-film-about-watching |last=Singer |first=Leigh |date=14 September 2016 |title=Five visual themes in Wings of Desire – Wim Wenders' immortal film about watching |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=5 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601070531/http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/five-visual-themes-wings-desire-immortal-film-about-watching |archive-date=1 June 2017 }}</ref> Wenders felt it was natural that angels without experience of the physical world would not see colour, and also thought black-and-white cinematography by Alekan would provide a novel view of Berlin.<ref name="Wenders"/>

A challenge in the cinematography was posed by using the camera for the perception of angels, as angels are not restrained in how far they can observe, in any dimension.{{sfn|Cook|1997|pp=167-168}} The story's Circus Alekan is named in the cinematographer's honour.{{sfn|Kilbourn|2013|p=237}}

Filming took place at actual locations in [[West Berlin]], such as the [[Berlin Victory Column|Siegessäule]], [[Hans Scharoun]]'s [[Berlin State Library]],<ref name="Pulver">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/aug/17/top-10-films-set-in-berlin |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |date=17 August 2011 |title=10 of the best films set in Berlin |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=5 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310050627/https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/aug/17/top-10-films-set-in-berlin |archive-date=10 March 2017 }}</ref> [[Potsdamerplatz]] with the disused elevated track of the [[M-Bahn]], the Lohmühlenbrücke, the Langenscheidtbrücke (the motorcycle accident), Oranienstrasse, Goebenstrasse 6 (where Damiel exchanges his breastplate for a loud check jacket), Waldemarstrasse (where Damiel comes to as a human), Günzelstrasse U-Bahn station, the [[Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof|Anhalter Bahnhof]], Theodor-Wolff-Park (site of the circus), Hochbunker Pallasstrasse (Peter Falk's film set) and the [[Hotel Esplanade Berlin|Hotel Esplanade]] (the concert). Most shots of the Wall are genuine, although the set for the scene in the death strip, in which Damiel announces his decision to become human, was specially built.<ref name="Pulver"/> Some pieces of the recreation were made from inexpensive wood, with one being destroyed by rain during production.<ref name="Feaster">{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/111419 |last=Feaster |first=Felicia |title=Wings of Desire |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=5 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807074357/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/111419%7C0/Wings-of-Desire.html |archive-date=7 August 2017 }}</ref>

With little idea of how to portray the angels and no costume design, Wenders said the filmmakers consulted artwork, experimented, and found the idea of armor during production, and told U.S. filmmaker [[Brad Silberling]] they did not decide on overcoats until later.<ref name="Silberling">{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Wenders |first2=Wim |last3=Silberling |first3=Brad |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref> The hairstyle was loosely inspired by a photograph of a Japanese warrior.<ref name="Sander"/>

Although the circus scenes required extensive and risky acrobatics, Dommartin was able to learn the trapeze and rope moves in a mere eight weeks, and did all the work herself, without a stunt double.<ref name=theguardian>{{cite news |last=Jakubowski |first=Maxim |author-link=Maxim Jakubowski |date=6 February 2007 |title=Solveig Dommartin, Wenders' fearless angel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2007/feb/06/solveigdommartinwendersacro |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |access-date=3 April 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085907/http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2007/feb/06/solveigdommartinwendersacro |archive-date=7 April 2014 }}</ref> During production, the filmmakers called German police after Falk went missing. Falk had been spending hours exploring West Berlin and was discovered in a café.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/wie-peter-falk-columbo-wurde-fotostrecke-136179-7.html |title=Fotostrecke: Die vielen Optionen des Peter Falk |date=11 April 2014 |access-date=12 September 2017 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |language=de |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021065720/http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/wie-peter-falk-columbo-wurde-fotostrecke-136179-7.html |archive-date=21 October 2016 }}</ref>

===Post-production===
Peter Handke arrived in West Berlin during the editing process, led by [[Peter Przygodda]]. Handke believed it bordered on a [[silent film]], aside from some music, and lacked much of the notes he had sent to Wenders during filming. Handke thus proposed adding his writings via [[voice-over]].<ref name="Handke"/> After Falk left Berlin, he recorded much of his voice-over in a sound studio in [[Los Angeles]]. Much of this was improvised, though Wenders still supervised by telephone.<ref name="Feaster"/>

With the filming performed in lengthy [[take]]s, and the camera used as "the eye of the angel", much of the movement was conveyed in the camerawork rather than in editing effects.{{sfn|Wenders|1997|p=67}} There was five hours of footage to edit down to the final cut.{{sfn|Wenders|1997|p=67}} A [[Pieing|pie fight]] between the stars was filmed for the final scene, but later edited out.{{sfn|Klosterman|2009|p=37}}

Composer [[Jürgen Knieper]] assumed harps and violins would suffice for a [[film score|score]] for a film about angels, until he saw a cut of the film. Seeing the angels were discontented, he wrote a different score employing a choir, voices and whistling.<ref name="Knieper">{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Wenders |first2=Wim |last3=Knieper |first3=Jürgen |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref> [[Laurent Petitgand]] contributed the circus music, an ensemble work performed with accordions, saxophones and keyboards.{{sfn|Davison|2017}}