Following its UK theatrical release, Thomas von Steinaecker’s documentary, Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer is now available on BFI Blu-ray, BFI Player, iTunes and Prime Video.
Master filmmaker, auteur, poet, truth seeker, explorer, brand, meme, actor, lauded voice artiste, doomsayer, legend… Werner Herzog is all of these. This is the man, now 81, who had a 320-tonne steamboat hauled over a hill in Peru, who hypnotises his actors, climbs into volcanoes, talks to murderers on death row, cooks and eats his own shoe and was once shot mid-interview. It’s these moments, along with other stories and his appearances in everything from The Simpsons to The Mandalorian, that have made him a beloved cult figure.
With behind-the-scenes access into Herzog’s everyday life and archive material, plus interviews with the man himself, his brother Tilbert, and celebrated collaborators (including actors Christian Bale and Nicole Kidman, his wife Lena and former partner Martje), we are given a glimpse into his work process and personal life. Also appearing are Robert Pattinson, Patti Smith, Wim Wenders, Chloé Zhao and (in archive footage) the influential film critic Lotte Eisner.
BFI BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
• Additional interview footage (2023, 16 mins): a selection of previously unseen material shot for the film
• The Colonist (2022, 10 mins): Robert A Smith’s short film, made under Herzog’s mentorship as part of the Werner Herzog Film Accelerator programme
• Poster gallery: images from the Deutsche Kinemathek Werner Herzog Archiv collection
• Theatrical trailer
• Booklet with a new essay by Geoff Andrew, The Many Faces of Werner Herzog by Kristina Jaspers, notes on the special features and credits
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