Werner Herzog Collection

Description

Collection of 18 films and documentaries from acclaimed German director Werner Herzog, famed for his blending of documentary realism with heightened stylisation. In ‘Aguirre, Wrath of God’ (1972), a Spanish expedition led by Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) aims to cross the Peruvian Sierras in search of the legendary Inca city of El Dorado. ‘The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser’ (1974) stars Bruno Schleinstein as the title character, telling the true story of the German boy who spent the first two decades of his life chained up in a cellar. Set in 18th Century Bolivia, ‘Heart of Glass’ (1976) stars Josef Bierbichler as Hias, a man with supernatural foresight who predicts a fire that will destroy the town’s glassblowing factory. ‘Stroszek’ (1977) stars Schleinstein as a Berlin street performer recently released from prison who tries to get his life back on track with the help of his prostitute friend Eva (Eva Mattes). ‘Nosferatu, the Vampyre’ (1979) stars Kinski as the infamous Count Dracula, a peculiarly pale man with a penchant for vampirism. ‘Woyzeck’ (1979) is a film adaptation of the play by George Büchner telling the story of a lowly soldier who works all the hours he can to provide for his illegitimate child. In ‘Fitzcarraldo’ (1982), a budding rubber baron sets about trying to transport a steamship over a hill that hides access to an area rich in rubber. The film is based on true events. ‘Cobra Verde’ (1987) is a drama based on the novel ‘The Viceroy of Ouidah’ by Bruce Chatwin which sees a dissolute Brazilian rancher who has resulted to working on a gold mine after his land was destroyed by a drought. Short films and documentaries also featured in this collection include ‘The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz’ (1967), ‘Last Words’ (1968), ‘Precautions Against Fanatics’ (1969), ‘Handicapped Future’ (1970), ‘Fata Morgana’ (1971), ‘Land of Silence and Darkness’ (1971), ‘The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner’ (1975), ‘How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck’ (1976), ‘Huie’s Sermon’ (1980) and ‘God’s Angry Man’ (1980).