GOETHE FILMS: Land of Plenty

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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GOETHE FILMS @ TIFF Bell Lightbox – September 28 + October 1 + 6

Retrospective: Wenders in the Cities

On the occasion of the auteur’s 70th birthday, GOETHE FILMS takes you to the places that feature large in Wim Wenders’ oeuvre – discover his native Germany, visit Los Angeles and explore Japan with films including “Alice in the Cities”, “Land of Plenty” and “Tokyo-Ga”. Accompanied by an exclusive free exhibition of Wim Wenders archive material at the Goethe-Institut Toronto Sep 10 – Nov 28.

Wenders in L.A. – “Land of Plenty“ (Germany/USA, 2004, 123 min), by Wim Wenders, with John Diehl (“Stripes”), Michelle Williams (“Brokeback Mountain”) and Richard Edson (“Stranger Than Paradise”).

Using the streets of downtown Los Angeles as a backdrop, “Land of Plenty” is a darkly humorous and poignant essay on contemporary America.

We see the country from two very different perspectives: through the eyes of a patriotic and troubled Vietnam veteran and from the point of view of his niece, a young idealistic woman. When they witness the apparently random shooting of a homeless Middle Eastern man, they decide to investigate this incident together. On this quest for the truth, their different views of the world collide radically.

The film is based on the hope that “truth” is not an altogether lost notion in today’s political and social realities. Even in America, even in 2003.

Unesco Prize Winner in Venice 2004

“The film insists that expressions of concern and affection are the best available antidotes to hatred and intolerance.” – The New York Times

“There are moments that leave you breathless.” – FAZ

Tickets $10, day-of sales only at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, open at 10am, in person or by phone 1-888-599-8433

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