NZIFF: Paris, Texas

Starring the late great Harry Dean Stanton in his most iconic role, Wim Wenders’ newly restored modern classic delivers one of the definitive outsider views of America.

Director Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, Perfect Days) fuses his expertise with the road movie – this was his fifth – and fascination for Americana in this intimate epic of the modern West. A man emerges from the desert, mute and dishevelled. After reconnecting with his brother and son, he embarks on a quest to find his missing wife.

Harry Dean Stanton, the venerable character actor cherished by David Lynch, gets a rare opportunity to stretch out in a lead role, and he’s subtly magnetic as a man slowly recovering from a mysterious existential crisis. His climactic encounter with Nastassja Kinski is a mesmerising tour de force.

After the debacle of Wenders’ first American project, Hammett, this was the film where everything went right, from cinematographer Robby Muller’s magnificent opening shots of Monument Valley to Ry Cooder’s dusty, iconic score. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1984 and secured the Best Director BAFTA for Wenders the following year. It has gone on to become a modern classic, inspiring generations of filmmakers and musicians (including Kurt Cobain, who named it his favourite film). We are delighted to present Paris, Texas in a new 4K restoration. — Andrew Langridge