Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog, born as Werner Stipetić, is a multi-faceted German artist mainly recognized as a filmmaker but also possessing several skills such as acting, opera directing, and authoring. Born on September 5, 1942, in Munich, German Reich, Herzog is considered an icon of New German Cinema. His films manifest his distinctive storytelling style that refrains from using typical storyboards, emphasizes improvisation, and showcases the struggles of ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams. At the tender age of 19, Herzog started to work on his first film, Herakles, marking the beginning of his illustrious journey in the realm of cinema. Over time, he has produced, directed, and written more than 60 films, including critically acclaimed titles like 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God', 'Nosferatu the Vampyre', 'Fitzcarraldo', 'Lessons of Darkness', and 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams'. Accompanying his cinema achievements, Herzog has also published over 12 books. His contributions to cinema have earned him enormous praise as a groundbreaking director, with celebrated French filmmaker François Truffaut hailing him as 'the most important film director alive'.