Wings of Desire (1988)

In Berlin, angels are everywhere. They observe and record human behavior and sometimes provide feelings of well-being or support to humans in distress. When a trapeze artist for a small circus captures the heart of one of the angels, he can't fight the urge to become human. Luckily, Peter Falk (as himself) offers encouragement and discloses that he is a former angel turned human by choice.

It's a gorgeous film, especially for the fact that it's not sanitized. The world is dirty and sad and all the more beautiful for its realism. Bruno Ganz as Damiel is someone we're rooting for. We want the trapeze artist to fall for him as he literally fell for her. But, most of all, we want him to experience the life he's only been allowed to witness -- and this film reminds us of the privilege of being able to do so.

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