Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire: Anticipating Uberveillance

Abstract

Abstract This article uses Wim Wenders’ romantic fantasy film Wings of Desire (1987) to contrast the roles of angels with uberveillance. Varying points of view are considered in the surveillance spectrum, demonstrating that while we can artificially fabricate omnipresence, omniscience still belongs to the heavenly realm. Humans will continue to encroach on personal privacy through the latest technological exploits penetrating the human within, while the angels will stand by their limitations acknowledging their role as listeners but not intruders. This article acts as a reminder of the intrinsic worth of human life in synergy with love, beyond the quantification of advanced technologies that seek to decorporealize and propel us to gamify our existence. What is important? It is the human connection; the ability to hold out our hand to another and have it clasped in reciprocity. This will reunify the world faster in compassion than any other technological marvel thrust upon us.