Bruno Gaz
An angel, placed on Earth to watch and look after humans. He has been stationed in Berlin since the beginning of time, and can remember watching glaciers melt and rivers form. Every day he observes the people around him, who cannot see him. He hears the worries of parents as they watch their children, the thoughts of the hooker who wants to earn enough money to move south, and the circus performer who is scared that, because it is the full moon, she will fall off her trapeze. Eventually, Damiel falls in love with this trapeze worker, Marion, and decides to become human in order to participate in life as she does.
Solveig Dommartin
Marion is a human who works at a cheap and dirty little circus as a trapeze artist when Damiel first encounters her. Shortly after this, the owners of the circus decide they must close down due to lack of funding. Marion, jobless and unsure of what to do next, becomes sad and listless. It is seeing Marion in this funk that makes Damien want to become human to help her overcome her sadness.
Otto Sander
An angel, who is friends with Damiel and is also stationed in Berlin to observe the passage of time and offer comfort to God’s children. Cassiel comes upon an old man who is interested in finding an “epic of peace”. Cassiel follows him, hoping to find the same, but all they encounter is the Berlin Wall, which will not be torn down for another year. After Damiel becomes human, Cassiel wanders, and finds a young man who is considering suicide. Before Cassiel can do anything, the young man jumps to his death, leaving Cassiel feeling hollow and forlorn.
Peter Falk
Peter Falk plays himself in this movie. He is an American actor who is in West Berlin to make a movie about the the history of the city and its Nazi roots. Falk can sense Damiel watching him, even though Falk himself cannot see him. This is because Falk used to be an angel himself, but grew tired of being relegated to the role of observer. He wanted to revel in the experience of life, and chose to become human, giving up his immortality for the opportunity to be human. He gives Damiel an example of what could happen if he becomes human, and helps Damiel understand how amazing and beautiful all the little things are that people take for granted.
