RFS’ Classic Film for Season 60 is Wim Wenders’ wistful romantic fantasy, Wings of Desire, shot in Berlin just two years before the fall of the Wall.

Visible only to children, Damiel and Cassiel are two angels, who have existed even before mankind. Along with several others, they wander around West Berlin, generally on their own, observing life, listening to the interior thoughts of humans and sometimes trying to provide comfort to the troubled, although such efforts are not always successful. There is a sense of unvarnished humanity in the preciousness of the ordinary and “unimportant” lives that the angels watch and record.

The story evolves when one of them, Damiel (Bruno Ganz), wonders what it would be like to be human and how it would be to be able to feel, to hold and to be seen. When he comes to the aid of attractive trapeze artist, Marion, he feels a spiritual devotion and a love that he has never felt before.

As well as giving vent to people’s interior thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears, Wenders’ poetic and highly cinematic film is his homage to Berlin, following his return to the city after several years in the United States. The crane and helicopter shots hover over the city and among the many memorable scenes are those in the Berlin State Library and the Potsdamer Platz which, in 1987, was still a wasteland

The film garnered multiple awards, including for Best Director at Cannes and the European Film Awards.

Tickets:

Adults: £5

Full time students: £3

Free to RFS members.

About Richmond Film Society

Richmond Film Society was formed in 1963 and has since screened over 860 films. Our objective was, and remains, to bring our community the very best in World Cinema. Our seasons run from September to June and attract an aggregate audience approaching 4,500 attendees. Season 60 will comprise 19 films of international repute, including features from Europe, Africa, North and South America, South and East Asia and the Middle East.

Films are shown on alternate Tuesdays at 8:00 pm sharp, with no ads or trailers. On screening nights, the bar opens at 7:00 p.m. and drinks can be brought into the auditorium. Film notes are available online for each screening and audience scores and feedback are collated.

For further information on RFS and the programme of films, please visit http://www.richmondfilmsoc.org.uk. You can also follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RichmondFilmSociety/ , on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Richmond_Film and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/richmondfilmsociety/

Season 60 Membership

Seasonal membership is being held at £40 for the 19 films (the 1999 price), an equivalent of £2.11 per film. For full time students, membership is offered at the concessionary rate of £25. The Existing Members ‘loyalty renewal window’ for Season 60 runs to the end of July.

Following expiration of the priority renewal period for existing Season 59

members, memberships will be offered to those on our waiting list. If you are a non-member and would like to be added to the waiting list for next season, please email us at admin@richmondfilmsoc.org.uk with your name, address and telephone number. Alternatively, you can email us via the ‘Contact Us’ section of our website.

Owing to capacity issues and our membership cap, we have not been able to open

membership up to the general public for to the last two seasons, so please

do get in touch if you are interested in joining.

Non-Member Tickets – on sale from 14 August

We intend to around 60 non-member tickets  available to purchase for individual screenings in Season 60, with tickets for the first four screenings going on sale at The Exchange from 14 August. Non-member tickets will remain at £5 (full-time students £3) and can be purchased in advance from The Exchange’s Box Office online at http://exchangetwickenham.co.uk/events, by telephone 020 8240 2399 or in person. To ensure that you secure a ticket and avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend early pre-booking via The Exchange once tickets become available for sale.

Should any non-member tickets remain available on the night of screenings, these can be now be purchased solely from The Exchange’s box office on the ground floor. Purchases are now by contactless payments only.