FOUR FROM HERZOG
In the four decades since he rose to critical prominence in the 1970s, director Werner Herzog has alternated between fiction and documentary films in search of that elusive, poetic quality he has called “ecstatic truth.” In October, we will present three of Herzog’s most celebrated 70s narrative features (Aguirre, the Wrath of God, The Enigma of Kasper Hauser and Stroszek) and an exemplary, recent non-fiction work (Encounters at the End of the World). This selection is co-presented by Cinematheque and Tales from Planet Earth, which will take place November 1-3, 2013. Read more about the Festival here: http://nelson.wisc.edu/tales/wifilm.html
- Sat., Oct. 5 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
In 1560, mad Spanish conquistador Aguirre (Kinski in one of his most demented performances) leads a mutiny during an expedition down the Amazon to find the legendary “golden city” of El Dorado. When Aguirre takes over, the journey downriver becomes increasingly deadly. Like his main character, director Herzog took his cast and crew to previously unexplored regions of South America to make his masterful epic adventure. "One of the ten greatest films ever made." (Roger Ebert)
- Sat., Oct. 12 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
In 1928, Kasper Hauser mysteriously appears in the town of Nürnberg, Germany. It soon becomes clear to the townspeople that Kasper (played by Bruno S.) has been locked in a cell for most of his life, never having contact with any other person. After learning to communicate, Kasper develops a cynical personal philosophy about the world he has entered and rebels against those who wish to exploit him (the original German title, literally translated, is Every Man for Himself and God Against All). Thoughtful, compelling, and furnished with just enough period detail, Herzog’s matter-of-fact approach brings an amazing true story to life.
- Sat., Oct. 19 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
This bitter, sharply tragicomic look at American society follows ex-convict Stroszek (played by Herzog favorite Bruno S.) as he leaves his life as a Berlin street musician to pursue the American dream in a desolate Wisconsin town. Herzog’s unique masterpiece is an unrelenting and impressionistic rendering of contemporary Germany and the U.S.
- Sat., Oct. 26 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Filmmaker and adventurer Herzog takes his camera to perhaps the most remote part of the planet – Antarctica. Joining the community at the McMurdo Station at the South Pole, Herzog photographs forbidden locations such as the under-ice depths of the Ross Sea to the brink of the Mount Erebus volcano. A perfectly witty and sardonic travel guide, Herzog’s marvelous narration is surpassed by his stunning images of a practically science-fiction landscape; images that demand to be seen on a big screen.
- Tue., Oct. 29 | 7:00 PMSundance Cinemas 608
Herzog’s remake of F.W. Murnau’s horror classic is itself an outstanding contribution to the vampire genre. The film’s visually sumptuous quality extends to its cast, especially Kinski as the notorious and hideous count and the beautiful Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker, the vampire’s prey. This special screening at the Sundance Cinemas will serve as a benefit for the Cinematheque, which is seeking funds to install a new digital projector and server in their regular venue at 4070 Vilas Hall. A newly restored DCP will be screened. Tickets, $20, can be purchased online in advance here: https://itkt.choicecrm.net/templates/UWFF/