Westdeutscher Rundfunk (Germany): 2

The film Hope (2007) by Stanisław Mucha follows a German-Polish drama, starring a young man named Franciszek. In the midst of recording footage, he captures a respected art historian stealing a valuable painting from a church. With this evidence in hand, Franciszek attempts to manipulate the thief but his actions seem illogical as he shows no interest in financial gain. Instead, he insists that the artwork be returned to its rightful home. His strong principles are often unsettling to those around him – even his girlfriend has experienced his peculiar ways through his bizarre ‘tests of courage’.

Wings of Desire (1987) is a romantic fantasy film, both written and directed by Wim Wenders. Set in a divided Berlin, two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, watch over the city. While invisible and unheard by humans, they observe the thoughts of its inhabitants. These include a pregnant woman being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, a young prostitute standing on a busy road, and a broken man feeling betrayed by his wife. As Cassiel puts it, their purpose is to ‘gather, bear witness to, and preserve’ reality. These angels have always existed; they were present in Berlin before it was even established as a city ...