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New York Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Wim Wenders on Where the War in Europe Really Ended 80 Years Ago
Wim Wenders, the renowned German film director, is nearly 80 years old, as old as the peace in Europe that followed the capitulation of the Nazi regime. 'From my childhood onward, I have lived 80 years in peace,' he says in a short film he has directed to commemorate the end of World War II. But now, with a war in Ukraine that he calls 'a war against Europe,' Wenders says that the stakes have rarely been higher. 'Eighty years after the liberation of our continent, we Europeans are realizing again that peace cannot be taken for granted,' he says in the film. 'It is now up to us to take the keys to freedom into our own hands.' In an interview in his Berlin office, Wenders said that the decades of peace 'defined my life,' as the war had defined the life of his parents. His father, an army surgeon, spent five years at the front and was the only one of his class who did not die there, Wenders said. 'I had the privilege to be among the first generation of Germans who lived for 80 years in peace,' he said. 'None of my ancestors had that privilege.' Europe and Germany are crammed with varied efforts to remember the end of the war this week, including somber memorial events at concentration camps like Dachau and Bergen-Belsen. But Wenders' film is a rare personal and political testament from the man behind award-winning movies including 'Paris, Texas,' 'Wings of Desire' and 'The American Friend.' The new film is less than five minutes long and called 'The Keys to Freedom,' a moody, meditative visit to a little-known spot where history was made: a small school in Reims, France, where at 2:41 a.m. on May 7, 1945, the German army signed its unconditional surrender in front of allied commanders. The school, now the Lycée Franklin Roosevelt, then housed the headquarters of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Today there is a small museum in the school called the Museum of the Surrender, which includes the top floor map room where the commanders worked and the capitulation was signed. When Eisenhower and his team left the school, they handed the keys to the city's authorities, and they are now displayed in a small display case at the museum. 'The commander in chief returns the keys to the mayor of Reims and says, 'These are the keys to the freedom of the world,'' Wenders says in the film. 'I was very touched by the sight of these keys, even though now they're just keys in a small museum.' Wenders wanders the museum, looking at other exhibits and chatting with current students. The surrender is recaptured through archival footage of the day's events and a modern reconstruction, with actors. The Soviets insisted that the German high command repeat its surrender in Berlin, which they had conquered. That event took place on the following evening, May 8, which is generally recognized as the moment the war in Europe officially ended. For years, under Soviet occupation, the building where the agreement was ratified was known as The Museum of the Unconditional Surrender of Fascist Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, but after German reunification it was renamed Museum Berlin-Karlshorst. 'The idea was to go where the real thing was negotiated and signed, not just ratified, like what then was repeated on May 8, in Karlshorst — but the real McCoy,' Wenders said. 'A place in France to which I owed that freedom in which my life has taken place.' Wenders, who was born in August 1945, became a key figure in what was known as the 'New German Cinema' movement of the 1960s and '70s, an influential art house revolution by the postwar generation. In recent years, he has turned toward documentaries, which are less complicated to fund and get greenlit these days, he said. He narrates 'The Keys to Freedom' in three languages, German, English and French, and said he considered it a political film that looked back to his earliest work documenting German protests against the war in Vietnam. The film was sparked by an idea from Germany's foreign ministry. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the re-election of Europe-skeptic President Trump, it has been looking to be more forthright in its public messaging, especially about German values and the country's commitment to European security, said Peter Ptassek, a senior diplomat in charge of strategic communications. The ministry approached Wenders, who agreed to work for free, as did most of his team. The ministry provided 'under 100,000 euros' (about $113,000) for the project, to help pay for technical staff and production, Ptassek said. 'With the war in Ukraine and what's happening now in the U.S., we realized we had to raise our voice and explain ourselves,' Ptassek said. 'If you don't explain what you're doing, you lose trust.' ''The 'Keys to Freedom' is a symbol that fits so well,' he added. 'Eighty years of American protection no longer seem reliable. We have to take these keys and assume our responsibility.' Wenders hopes the film will speak to young people, but he has doubts. Even the French students in the school in Reims think of the war as ancient history, he said. 'They are the third generation living in this peace, and therefore they take it for granted,' he said. 'So it makes it easy to believe that this is eternal.' The shoot in Reims 'made me acutely aware how precious freedom can be,' Wenders said. 'In my life too, I had taken it for granted, and seeing that little war room made me realize how fragile it really is.' Talking to the students, he said, 'made me realize that it's quite a job, politically in Europe at this moment, to make people even take the word freedom seriously. Even the word doesn't mean much because they know nothing else. So that's why I wanted to keep the film really open at the end,' he said, to present the idea that 'we have to be aware of the fact that Uncle Sam isn't doing our job for very much longer, and we might have to defend this freedom ourselves.'
CBC
11-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Kate's 5 fun things to do in and around Waterloo region: April 11 to 13
The forecast looks really nice for this weekend, with sun and warmer temperatures expected. The first Guelph Beer Bus run of the season is on Saturday. The breweries in the city have teamed up to provide transportation between their sites each month. The theme for this month is All Out 90s. It's April Pools Month in Kitchener. Proceeds from public swims at Forest Heights Pool, Breithaupt Centre and Grand River Recreation Complex will go to support Water Smart programs. These swims happen on weekends all this month. There's a Two Of A Kind Market Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kitchener's city hall to benefit Volunteer Waterloo Region and the MS Society of Canada. Rihab Azar, virtuoso of the Oud, will be performing in Stratford on Sunday and Monday at two different locations. These concerts, called From Distant Shores, are being presented by INNERChamber Ensemble. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)(Revised)(Again) is on stage at the Guelph Little Theatre all weekend, too. Note: The Kitchener Rangers are in round two of the playoffs, facing the Windsor Spitfires. There are no home games this weekend. The Rangers will host the Spitfires Monday and Wednesday next week. (Another note: We're less than a month from local baseball season! Mark your calendars: Kitchener Panthers start their season May 11 in Toronto, while the Guelph Royals begin their season in London on May 16.) If you're driving this weekend, here are some local gas prices: K-W Titans vs. Windsor Express Friday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. The Aud, Kitchener In basketball action, the Titans are in the semi-finals and taking on the Windsor Express. Two home games are at The Aud this weekend. Get there early for pre-game activities and stay afterwards to get autographs from the players. K-W Titans website Kidchella Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. TheMuseum, downtown Kitchener This kid-sized music festival will feature musicians Randi and Sharon Hampson, The Peanut Butter Jams and Erick Traplin. There will also be a temporary tattoo station, VIP badgets, DIY flower crowns and bracelet making. TheMuseum event page Easter Egg-stravaganza Saturday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Schneider Haus, 466 Queen St. S., Kitchener Learn how to use natural dyes on your Easter eggs, plant a seed to take home and visit with baby chicks at the museum. There will also be other springtime-themed crafts and people can take part in games like the carrot toss and mini egg hunt. Tickets are required. Can't make it this weekend? The museum is also hosting a Hoppy Easter event with baby chicks over the long weekend. Schneider Haus event page Bonus: Hespeler Optimist Children's Easter Party Saturday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Hespeler Memorial Arena Families are invited for face painting, live entertainment, crafts and, of course, an egg hunt. Facebook event page Preserving care for old black walnut tree Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Woodlawn Memorial Park, Guelph The Guelph Tree Trust is organizing an event where people can watch specially trained arborists care for an old black walnut tree. The arborists will be pruning the tree, one of the talest deciduous trees in the cemetery. There will also be a tree tour of the park and the tree trust will talk more about the work they do to preserve old trees in the city. Tree Trust event page Soup and Stroll Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. McDougall Cottage, Cambridge Take a walking tour of Galt's industrial history and then stay for some Scotch Broth soup. Organizers say it's the perfect blend of history, heritage and relaxed comfort. Dress for the weather and wear good walking shoes. Pre-registration is required.
CBC
31-01-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Kate's 5 fun things to do in and around Waterloo region: Jan. 31 to Feb. 2
This weekend looks like it will be a rollercoaster weather-wise, with sunny skies but cold temperatures on Saturday, then cloudy with a chance of flurries and rain on Sunday but milder temperatures. Sunday is Groundhog Day. All weekend, if you're willing to brave the weather, head to Wiarton for the annual Wiarton Willie Festival. There are events all weekend including a chili cook-off, dance, craft market, skating with the Owen Sound Attack hockey team and Willie makes his early spring/six more weeks of winter prediction at 8:07 a.m. Sunday. The Winter Rainbow Festival is on Sunday afternoon from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Stratford Army Navy in Stratford. There will be music, hot chocolate, pizza, local craft vendors and more at this family friendly event to support the 2SLGBTQ+ youth organization Generation Rainbow Collective. There's also a winter market at the Red Chevron Club in Guelph on Sunday afternoon hosted by the arts collective The Hive. The K-W Titans basketball team are on the road with two games this weekend against the Newfoundland Rogues. The Kitchener Rangers are on the road all weekend. The Guelph Storm are home for two games. On Friday night, they host the Sarnia Sting. Sunday afternoon, the Ottawa 67's will be at the Sleeman Centre. Celebrate Lunar New Year Saturday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. RIM Park, Waterloo This drop-in, free program hosted by the Waterloo Public Library and the Waterloo Region Chinese Canadian Association will feature music, dancing, crafts and various activities. The event will take place in Forbes Hall. Waterloo Public Library event page Hillside Inside Friday to Sunday Various locations in Guelph The winter version of the summer festival is back, but this year there are more than just musical options. Friday there's yoga and a shoulder massage class. Then in the evening, enjoy a concert with Logan Staats and Katie Tupper. On Saturday, there's printmaking, learn to play spoons and washboard, various concerts including the Jamschool Youth Showcase in the afternoon and then Golden Feather with The Vaudevillan perform in the evening. Sunday take in Girls and Guitars, a dance workshop, bluegrass sessions and a community gathering. Bonus: Music Weekends in Downtown Guelph This group has partnered with Hillside Inside to present Rowan Tree at the Red Brick Cafe on Saturday afternoon and the Hillside Bluegrass Session with Shane Cook & The Woodchippers at Miijidaa Café on Sunday at 3 p.m. Facebook page The Brush Off Saturday, 7 p.m. to late TheMuseum, downtown Kitchener Artists will create original pieces during this art-making competition. People attending can vote for their favourites and bid on a painting to take home. TheMuseum event page A Midwinter Singer-Songwriter's Circle Sunday 7:30 p.m. start Wesley United Church, Cambridge This event brings together singer-songwriters Karen MacLeod, Michael Kelly Cavan and Amanda Kind who will be backed by four session musicians — Fred Smith on guitar, Paul Stouffer on piano, Tom Nagy on bass and Don McDougall on drums — for a night of music, stories and songs. Tickets are pay what you can but donations are welcome. TicketScene event page Cherry Park Neighbourhood Skating Party Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 84 Strange St., Kitchener Join neighbours at the outdoor rink in the Cherry Park area of the city for some skating, then enjoy free hot chocolate, hot dogs and donuts. If you're looking for fun activities this winter to get the most out of the snow, an interactive map from Wellington County lists a whole bunch of ideas. It includes outdoor campfires, winter yoga with alpacas, ice climbing, snowshoeing, and tobogganing. If being outside isn't your jam, indoor events are also listed. Elora Village of Lights is one highlighted event. Each weekend until March 16, there will be a pop-up skating rink, public fire tables, drink and food stations and entertainment throughout the downtown core and, of course, lights at night to brighten up the experience.
