: The screenplay was adapted from Antonioni's book of sketches, That Bowling Alley on the Tiber: Tales of a Director . Artistic Elements
: Producers required a "stand-by" director for insurance purposes. Wenders directed the framing sequences featuring John Malkovich, while Antonioni directed the four main vignettes based on his own short stories.
: The collaboration was often tense. Antonioni reportedly told Wenders, "Leave my film alone!" regarding the transitional scenes, and eventually cut nearly half of Wenders’ contributed footage during editing.
: A man navigates a complex dynamic between his wife and his mistress.
: A filmmaker encounters a young woman who confesses to a shocking crime.
: A young man and woman meet briefly and part, only to reconnect years later.