Werner Herzog

In his work, Herzog seeks out those places on our planet that seem most other-worldly. He points his camera at people who live and survive in extreme circumstances – from scientists in Antarctica to child soldiers. The filmmaker feels a great affinity with the dreamers, obsessives, the solitary rebels and the marginalised, who for whatever reasons stray from the well-trodden path. By telling the stories of these exceptional individuals, Herzog at the same time manages to tell bigger stories about human existence. He comes across as a cool observer, but one with incredible empathy. His deep interest in rushing technological developments also inspires many of his films.

Herzog strives to capture the human condition in our times and, in his own words, explore “the inner landscapes of the soul”. If you’re only interested in dry reality – the accountant’s reality – Herzog says, you’d be better off just watching surveillance cameras. This director is no ‘fly on the wall’: he prefers to see himself as a furious wasp, impossible to avoid.

The filmmaker's sincere interest in fellow human beings, including marginalised or excluded people, runs like a red thread through his oeuvre. He is interested in people who live off the beaten track, who, for whatever reason, have to 'fight' for their existence, who are not understood by society.