On the Ecstasy of Ski-Flying: Werner Herzog in Conversation With Karen Backman

By Cyril Pearl -- Video Business, 7/28/2008

MICROCINEMA
Street: Aug. 26
Prebook: now
> Fans will eat up this hour-long conversation with the great German auteur.

No, the great filmmaker Werner Herzog (Aguirre, The Wrath of God, Even Dwarves Started Small) didn’t direct this public conversation that he engaged in with University of Pennsylvania film studies professor Karen Beckman, but it’s still a fabulous capsule of the German artiste in all his deadpan, bizarrely logical glory. Taped last fall at Philadelphia’s Slought Institute, Herzog ponders the existence of aliens, the state of politics, the growth of technology and, of course, the joys of ski-flying. It’s not much to look at in a cinematic sense, but the ever provocative and curious Herzog still manages to command the forum for the better part of an hour. Also included is a booklet featuring selected writings by Herzog and photos from his films Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde.

Shelf Talk: The cult of Herzog continues to grow, and this offbeat piece is sure to garner attention by those who proudly kneel at the Church of Werner. This Ecstasy is for Herzog fans alone—and they won’t be disappointed.

Documentary, color, NR (mature themes, language), 63 min., DVD $30
Extras: none
Producers: Aaron Levy, Nicola M. Gentili
First Run: DVD premiere