Wim Wenders is a critically acclaimed film-maker and one of the most important figures to emerge from the New German Cinema period of the 1970s. Born in Düsseldorf, Wenders initially began studying medicine and then philosophy before spending a year in Paris as a painter. In 1967 he began a degree at the University of Television and Film in Munich, graduating in 1970. He went on to establish his own production company, Road Movies, in 1975, before becoming founding member and later president of the European Film Academy. Alongside his directorial work, Wenders has also produced a major body of photographic work.