Portrait: Werner Herzog

An autobiographical short film by Werner Herzog made in 1986. Herzog tells stories about his life and career. The film contains excerpts and commentary on several Herzog films, including Signs of Life, Heart of Glass, Fata Morgana, Aguirre, the Wrath of God, The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner, Fitzcarraldo, and the Les Blank documentary Burden of Dreams. Notable is footage of a conversation between Herzog and his mentor Lotte Eisner, a photographer. In another section, he talks with mountaineer Reinhold Messner, in which they discuss a potential film project in the Himalayas to star Klaus Kinski.

Cast

Werner Herzog

Self

Reinhold Messner

Self

Lotte Eisner

Self

Mick Jagger

Self (archive footage)

Jason Robards

Self (archive footage)

Klaus Kinski

Self (archive footage)

Paul Hittscher

Self (archive footage)

Thomas Mauch

Self (archive footage)

Beat Presser

Self (archive footage)

Walter Saxer

Self (archive footage)

Franz Josef Strauß

Self - Oktoberfest