In spring 2026, the Alte Oper Frankfurt will be the venue for a special tribute to one of the most important filmmakers of our time: Wim Wenders. To mark his 80th birthday, the opera house is dedicating a three-day festival to him, focusing on the close connection between music and film in his work.
Entitled Driven by Music, the program features film screenings, live music, and discussions that bring Wenders' cinematic world to life as both an acoustic and visual experience. Among other things, visitors can experience his cinematic homage to the Skladanowsky brothers, the history of early film technology, and the multi-award-winning music film Buena Vista Social Club, accompanied by a concert with Sarahbanda—an ensemble that brings traditional Cuban music into the present.
As part of the festival, Wenders will give a lecture performance on the role of music in his work, his personal relationship to soundscapes, and the stories behind the soundtracks that characterize his films. The program will be complemented by conversations with companions such as musician Wolfgang Niedecken, who will provide insights into long-standing artistic relationships. The three-day cycle will be rounded off by a screening of The Soul of a Man, a cinematic tribute to the blues, followed by a live blues session and thus a direct acoustic experience after the screen.
Parallel to the festival, a special exhibition opening on March 11 at the German Film Institute & Film Museum (DFF) pays tribute to Wenders' extensive oeuvre and brings the director's cinematic and musical biography to life in exhibition form. Driven by Music thus combines cinematic reflection, musical presence, and personal encounters to create a multifaceted portrait of an artist for whom music has always been more than just background noise—it is a central narrative and emotional element of his visual universe.
March 11 to 13, 2026
