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Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog

Director & actor · born 5 September 1942 · Munich, Allemagne

Werner Herzog (German: [ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhɛɐ̯tsoːk]; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unique talents in obscure fields, or individuals in conflict with nature. He is known for his unique filmmaking process, such as disregarding storyboards, emphasizing improvisation, and placing the cast and crew into similar situations as characters in his films.

Herzog started work on his first film Herakles in 1961, when he was nineteen. Since then he has produced, written, and directed more than sixty feature films and documentaries, such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974), Heart of Glass (1976), Stroszek (1977), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982), Cobra Verde (1987), Lessons of Darkness (1992), Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997), My Best Fiend (1999), Invincible (2000), Grizzly Man (2005), Encounters at the End of the World (2007), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010). He has published more than a dozen books of prose, and directed as many operas.

Where to start: Fitzcarraldo (1982).

As director 76

As actor 141

TV shows 13

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Werner Herzog movie?

By viewer score, Fitzcarraldo (1982) at 7.6/10.

What are Werner Herzog’s most popular movies?

Jack Reacher, Penguins of Madagascar, What Dreams May Come.

How many movies has Werner Herzog made?

217 films on TMDB, 76 as director, 141 as actor.

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