Paris, Texas

New German Cinema pioneer Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) brings his keen eye for landscape to the American Southwest in Paris, Texas, a profoundly moving character study written by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Sam Shepard. 

Out of nowhere, a gaunt man in a dark suit and a red baseball cap appears in the burning heat of the desert between the US and Mexico. Travis. He drinks the last sip from his water bottle, then he moves on, doggedly, into the inhospitable area that the locals call “The Devil’s Playground”. Travis might seem to be mute and amnesiac, but he’s driven by the desire to reconnect with his family.

Exquisitely photographed by Dutch master Robby Müller, Paris, Texas is a powerful statement on self-discovery, loss, redemption and the unbreakable bonds of love. Outstanding performances by Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski, a masterful screenplay by Sam Shepard and Ry Cooder’s haunting soundtrack have contributed to its cult film status and its spell, even 40 years later.

The film screens in a new 4K restoration courtesy of Janus Films. In 2014, on behalf of the French co-producer, Argos Films, the original negative was digitized in 4K, restored and color graded in 2K. Using these scans, Wenders and the Wim Wenders Stiftung decided to elaborately restore and color grade PARIS, TEXAS in 4K to coincide with the film’s 40th anniversary in 2024. The 4K restoration work was made possible with the support of Chanel and the German Film Heritage Funding Program (FFE). It was carried out at Basis Berlin Postproduktion, using the 4K scans made at L’Immagine Ritrovata in 2014.

Part of our "Robby Müller: Light Work" series. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. Courtesy of Janus Films.