Arisha, the Bear, and the Stone Ring (1993): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1993, Arisha, the Bear, and the Stone Ring is a notable film directed by Wim Wenders.

What it’s about. “The bear leaves Berlin. It is fed up with its city. On the way two Russian ladies, Anna and her daughter Arisha, hire him as a driver. They are joined by a Santa Claus who despises Christmas and a Vietnamese family who are on their way to the sea. They sing a song together, The Weeping Song by Nick Cave. And they are out to find a stone ring that is buried on the beach. The film was commissioned by a Japanese car museum. There you could see the film with six smells (!), sitting on car seats that would tilt in corners and shake on cobble stone pavement. This small film saved a big one’s life: FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! could not have been finished for financial reasons if this opportunity to make a short film with the same team had not arisen. That is how we financed the last week of shooting FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!.”

Who’s in it. Arisha, the Bear, and the Stone Ring stars Wim Wenders as Santa Claus and Rüdiger Vogler as The Bear.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, Arisha, the Bear, and the Stone Ring has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Arisha, the Bear, and the Stone Ring page.