I was supposed to meet Wim Wenders, durable survivor of the German new wave, at London Film Festival in October. At the last minute he had to cancel because of a medical issue. I was assured it was nothing serious, but I am glad to see him looking, in his own lugubrious way, as vital as ever. Now 78, the director of Alice in the Cities; Paris, Texas; Wings of Desire; and Buena Vista Social Club is a figure to be cherished. “I had to undergo eye surgery,” he says. “I couldn’t change it. It had to be done. And...