Paris, Texas

Paris, Texas, Wim Wenders, 1984, 2 hrs. 27 mins.

Paris, Texas is a road movie: that most essentially American of genres, so beloved by Wenders that he named his first production company after it. Guy Lodge, Guardian, April 27, 2015

[A] story of loss upon loss. Roger Ebert, December 8, 2002

Paris, Texas is a 1984 drama directed by Wim Wenders, with cinematography by Robby Müller and a distinctive musical score composed by Ry Cooder. The screenplay was written by Kit Carson and Sam Shepard. The film’s plot focuses on an amnesiac (played by Harry Dean Stanton) who, after mysteriously wandering out of the desert, attempts to reconnect with his brother (Dean Stockwell) and seven-year-old son (Hunter Carson). He and his son embark on a voyage through the American Southwest to find his long-missing wife (Nastassja Kinski).

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Tuesday Evenings at the Modern: Films is a summer extension of the lecture series. This film-based weekly program runs through the summer months and strives to continue the consideration of ideas and issues pertaining to the art and architecture of the Modern, as well as to contemporary art in general.  

The screenings this summer focus on the genre of road films, as recommended by the artist Doug Aitken. Each selection addresses notions of the nomadic, time and space through movement, the horizon line, and/or the landscape and culture of the West in conjunction with the Modern’s summer exhibition Doug Aitken: Electric Earth. Visit www.themodern.org/films for more information.

To create a full experience, these presentations include a brief introduction and opportunity for discussion following the films. Seating is available in the Modern's auditorium at 6:30 pm, and the program begins at 7 pm. The museum's galleries are open until 7 pm on Tuesdays during Tuesday Evenings at the Modern: Films. This program is free and open to the public. Up to two free tickets can be obtained at the information desk beginning at 5 pm the day of the screening.