Until the End of the World (1991)
Until the End of the World (German: Bis ans Ende der Welt; French: Jusqu’au bout du monde) is a 1991 science fiction drama film directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Set at the turn of the millennium in the shadow of a world-changing catastrophe, the film follows a man and woman, played by William Hurt and Solveig Dommartin, as they are pursued across the globe, in a plot involving a device that can record visual experiences and visualize dreams.
An initial draft of the screenplay was written by American filmmaker Michael Almereyda, but the final screenplay is credited to Wenders and Peter Carey, from a story by Wenders and Dommartin. Wenders, whose career had been distinguished by his mastery of the road movie, intended this as the ultimate example of the genre.
The film has been released in several editions, ranging in length from 158 to 287 minutes.
Why It Matters
Until the End of the World treats technology as something intimate rather than merely futuristic. Its central device can preserve sight and eventually visualise dreams, turning memory, obsession and private experience into things that can be recorded, replayed and consumed.
Worldbuilding Inspiration
- A device that gives access to experiences that were once impossible to share.
- A global journey shaped by borders, surveillance and an approaching catastrophe.
- Characters who become addicted to their own memories or dreams.
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