This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster for Wim Wenders’ acclaimed 1982 film The State of Things (German title: Der Stand der Dinge, released in Japan as ことの次第). A strikingly modern and highly collectible Japanese design, it features a bold emerald/teal geometric field with oversized white title typography, contrasted against a stark monochrome still from the film below—an image that feels both cinematic and haunting. The layout is minimalist yet dramatic, with the Japanese copy and vertical festival text integrated cleanly into the design, creating an unmistakably “graphic” poster that stands apart from typical photo-heavy campaigns.
What truly elevates this example into a major collector’s piece is the large, clear handwritten signature of Wim Wenders, boldly placed across the upper central area. Even more desirably, it is personally inscribed “Kyoto” (as pictured), giving the autograph a specific place and year—an exceptional provenance detail that is far less common than a simple signature and makes this a rare, Japan-linked Wenders artifact.
Key Features:
Original Japanese B2 poster for The State of Things / ことの次第 (Der Stand der Dinge) (1982) — not a reproduction or reprint.
Hand-signed by Wim Wenders, with a highly desirable location/date inscription “Kyoto” visible on the front (see photos).
Exceptional Japanese graphic design: bold teal geometric block, oversized white Japanese title characters, and a powerful black-and-white still—minimal, modern, and extremely displayable.
The poster text highlights the film’s prestige (including the 1982 Venice Film Festival Grand Prix mention as printed), underscoring its international stature.
Rare title + rare signature combination: signed Japanese B2 posters for Wenders are scarce, and Kyoto-inscribed examples are particularly uncommon—making this a standout collectible for serious Wim Wenders collectors.
Excellent overall condition for display, with light edge/handling wear and minor age/handling impressions; the reverse shows gentle handling/fold impressions typical of vintage Japanese one-sheets (please see photos for exact condition).
About the Film:
Directed by Wim Wenders, The State of Things is one of his most admired “films-about-filmmaking”—a moody, reflective work that turns production collapse and creative uncertainty into cinema itself. Set amid stalled filmmaking, drifting relationships, and a world that feels suspended between images and reality, it’s a uniquely atmospheric Wenders piece: part meta-cinema, part existential road (or anti-road) movie, and part portrait of artists trying to keep meaning alive when everything around them is running out. For collectors, it’s a crucial title in the Wenders canon—intellectually rich, visually memorable, and deeply tied to his themes of time, place, and the fragile act of making images.
About Wim Wenders & Japan:
Wim Wenders’ close relationship with Japan runs through decades of his work and life. His documentary Tokyo-Ga is a landmark cinematic love letter to Japan—an essayistic, deeply personal exploration of Tokyo and the spirit of Japanese cinema—while Perfect Days is a powerful recent example of his continuing connection to Tokyo, daily ritual, and the poetry of observation. In that context, an original Japanese poster signed by Wenders in Japan—specifically inscribed “Kyoto”—becomes far more than a standard autograph: it’s a provenance-rich object that reflects Wenders’ long-standing Japan dialogue and makes this poster especially meaningful for collectors focused on that part of his legacy.
This poster is in excellent display condition. Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
