Wim Wenders' 'Anselm' Explores the Works of Anselm Kiefer

The 3D Documentary Focuses on Kiefer's Relationship with Germany's Dark History and His Unique Artistic Process

Wim Wenders' new 3D documentary, 'Anselm,' explores the works of 78-year-old German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer, focusing on his relationship with Germany's dark history.
The documentary is non-biographical and instead presents a philosophical rendering of Kiefer in his working mode, often using burnt raw materials, rubble, and molten steel in his art to evoke the ravages of World War II.
The film features a tour of La Ribaute, Kiefer's 200-acre compound in France, which houses his decades of work and is presented as a steampunk-like arrangement of stone buildings, barns, and production plants.
Despite its visual immersion, the documentary has been criticized for failing to interrogate Kiefer's controversial privileged position in the art world and for not offering a clear portrait of the artist as a person.
The film is now playing in select theaters.