Werner Herzog

was born in Munich in 1942. He moved with his family to the remote Bavarian mountains when he was just two weeks old, shaping his life profoundly. He received no formal education in filmmaking, opting instead to learn the craft through self-study. Notable for his vivid storytelling and daring cinematic techniques, Herzog rapidly became a pivotal figure in the New German Cinema movement. His debut feature film, »Lebenszeichen« (1968, Eng.» Signs of Life«), was met with considerable acclaim, and he continued to push boundaries with his subsequent works. »Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes« (1972, Eng. »Aguirre, the Wrath of God«), tells the story of a mad conquistador’s

doomed expedition in search of El Dorado, with Klaus Kinski’s performance standing out. »His characters are dreamers, conquerors, often facing loneliness and deep longings. He has his very own approach to cinematic truth, often calling his documentaries fiction as a kind of Ecstatic Truth.« (Magnus Knoll) Herzog has worked across different genres and formats, from documentaries like »Grizzly Man« (2005), which explores the life and death of Timothy Treadwell, to feature films like »Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans« (2009). »Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds« (2020), is a captivating exploration of meteorites and comets and their influence on mythology and religion. Critic Roger Ebert aptly noted: »Even his failures are spectacular.« Herzog’s last work, »Theatre of Thought« (2022) is a documentary on the human brain and the fast-advancing neural technology.

Literature plays a central role in his work, not only as a model for film material. Herzog has also repeatedly emerged as an outstanding storyteller and writer. In 2021 he published his first novel, »Das Dämmern der Welt«, (Eng. »The Twilight World«, 2022) where he tells the story of Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who defended a small island in the Philippines for twenty-nine years after the end of World War II. A year later he published a memoir »Jeder für sich und Gott

gegen alle«, (2022; Eng. »Every Man for Himself and God Against All«, 2023). Herzog’s unique approach has earned him numerous awards, including the Best Director award at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival for »Fitzcarraldo« and the Special Jury Award at the Venice Film Festival for »The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser«. Today, Herzog is not only involved in filmmaking, but also contributes to the world of cinema through his Rogue Film School, where he imparts his distinctive philosophy and practical filmmaking skills.

The author lives in Los Angeles, California.

Die Eroberung des Nutzlosen

Hanser Verlag
München, 2004

Das Dämmern der Welt

Hanser Verlag
München, 2021

Vom Gehen im Eis: München-Paris

Hanser Verlag
New York, 2020

Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle

Hanser Verlag
New York, 2020