Wim Wenders Withdraws 1975 Film Due to Semi-Nude 13-Year-Old Nastassja Kinski 0 13

German director Wim Wenders has announced the cessation of distribution of his 1975 film "False Movement" due to a scene featuring Nastassja Kinski, who was 13 years old at the time of filming.

The statement was published by the Wim Wenders Foundation. In it, the director acknowledged that the young actress did not receive adequate protection during the work on the film.

"As the only person responsible for the creation of 'False Movement' who is still alive, I acknowledge that Nastassja Kinski should have been better protected at that time. For this, I offer her my unconditional apologies," Wenders stated.

The decision was prompted by years of criticism from Kinski herself. The actress has repeatedly stated that the film contains a scene with her bare breasts, filmed when she was a minor. In a recent interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, she said, "This was my first film, he was my first director, and he did not protect me."

Under the foundation's publication, there was a comment from an account belonging to Kinski, in which the actress noted that she had asked to address the issue many years ago.

The film "False Movement," based on Goethe's novel "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship," marked Kinski's film debut. She later collaborated with Wenders again in the films "Paris, Texas" and "Faraway, So Close!"

According to the director, the film will remain unavailable for screening and distribution until a solution acceptable to all parties is found. Speaking on May 29 at the German Film Awards ceremony, Wenders acknowledged that today such a scene would hardly be filmed in the way it appeared in the movie. However, he emphasized that the situation raises a broader question about how modern society should deal with works created in another era. He also stated that he has not yet come to a final decision on whether to make changes to the film decades after its release.

These words sparked a new wave of criticism. Kinski's lawyer, Christian Schertz, emphasized that this is not about censorship or "cancel culture," as the director seems to have tried to present the situation. The lawyer stated that if the controversial scene is not removed, a lawsuit will be filed soon.

Film critic Annett Brauerhoch also criticized Wenders' position in an interview with Deutschlandfunk. According to her, by addressing the public and the German Film Academy with a call to discuss the issue, the director effectively tried to shift the responsibility.