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Debate in Germany after Wim Wenders pulls film over child nudity
04.06.2026, DPA
Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
The decision by German director Wim Wenders to withdraw a 1975 film over a nude scene depicting a 13-year-old has sparked widespread debate in Germany on whether artworks should be changed retroactively, with some industry figures hailing the moment as a "big opportunity."
The controversial scene in the 1975 film "Wrong Move," a modern adaption of a novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, features then 13-year-old actress Nastassja Kinski with a bare upper body.
Kinski, now 65, has said that she had asked Wenders for years to remove the 2-minute scene.
Wenders publicly apologized to Kinski in a statement released on Wednesday, announcing that he would withdraw the film from distribution until "a mutually agreed solution" was found.
Reacting to the move, the German Film Academy said on Thursday it would hold a meeting in September to address the issues raised by Wenders' decision.
Academy presidents Vicky Krieps and Florian Gallenberger noted the question inherent in Wenders' decision - whether films and other works of art should, must or are permitted to be altered after their release - had sparked “intense debate” not only in the public sphere but also within the institution.
It would take time to consider the legal, ethic, artistic and cultural dimensions in equal measure, meaning a decision on how the academy would deal with the film in the future should be expected following the meeting in September at the earliest, they said.
German director Julia von Heinz, who described Wenders' move as a "big opportunity" for the industry in an op-ed for Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung daily, noted that her colleague had several options to deal with the scene.
Wenders could either grant Kinski her request and remove it, she said, or provide a “softer form of reparation” by creating supplementary material and allowing Kinski to contribute an interview or essay to be distributed alongside the film.
Von Heinz argued that Wenders' concern over the film's legacy could only be explained with a concept of genius “which assumes that a film is created frame by frame – that is, shot by shot – and that this form is the only true one and must not be altered.”
Yet films are often the result of chance, she wrote.
In his statement from Wednesday, Wenders writes that "it is necessary for our society to find appropriate ways of dealing with controversial film works from the 20th Century and to face new learning processes and inclusive perspectives regarding cinema."
He also said that he would seek dialogue with film institutions and other industry figures on the issue.
Before Wenders' announcement, Kinski's lawyer Christian Schertz had said that the acclaimed director had “refused for years” to discuss the scene with his client in person and announced that she would take legal action.
Schertz welcomed Wenders' decision to withdraw the film, while describing it as "long overdue."
"I also regret that this only came about as a result of public pressure, after he had initially tried to shift the blame in his speech at the German Film Awards and indirectly dismissed Nastassja Kinski’s request as censorship, which was truly despicable."
The 80-year-old director, whose films include "Paris, Texas," "Wings of Desire," and "Perfect Days," used his acceptance speech at the German Film Awards, where he received an honorary award last week, to call for a broader discussion about how the film industry should handle controversial scenes in older works.
Referring to the controversy linked to "Wrong Move," Wenders said he would not shoot the scene the same way today. However, he said he was "at a loss" as to how to deal with films made in a different era, as cutting the scene would set a precedent for all films to come.
Actress Kinski thanks supporters after disputed Wenders film withdrawn
05.06.2026, DPA
Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
German actress and former model Nastassja Kinski on Friday thanked to those who had supported her in her efforts to secure the withdrawal of the 1975 Wim Wenders film "Wrong Move," in which she was shown topless at the age of 13.
The Oscar-nominated German director said on Wednesday he would block access to the film for the time being following Kinski's candid interview in May with the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, in which she said had for years asked Wenders in vain to remove the scene.
"Thank you for that [opportunity to share], and thank you to everyone who contacted me afterward," Kinski, the daughter of the late actor Klaus Kinski, posted on Instagram. "It wasn't easy, but it was long overdue to address this moment in my very first film."
The actress said the director had ignored her objections because of her young age at the time.
“Precisely because of that, he should have acted, taken me seriously, my request, but Wim Wenders was nowhere to be found,” Kinski wrote.
Her lawyer, Christian Schertz, had said that Wenders, 80, had "been refusing for years" to have a face-to-face conversation with Kinski about the scene.
Film temporarily withdrawn
Wenders said in a statement that the film would be withdrawn from all current distribution channels for the time being. Streaming, TV and distribution partners would be instructed to no longer make the film publicly available.
He also said the actress "should have been better protected back then," adding: "For that, I apologize to you, Nastassja, unreservedly, no ifs and buts."
At the recent German Film Awards, Wenders said that he would "never do the scene like that again today."
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