UPDATE: We have reached our limit on free access to Nomad. The film is currently available for home viewing here via our friends a the Music Box Theatre and Music Box Films. Our Nomad podcast is still available for listening below.

The UW Cinematheque's free series of view-at-home movies continues this week with an opportunity to view the latest release from acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog, Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin. A selection of the 2019 Telluride and Vancouver Film Festivals, Nomad was also a selection of the cancelled 2020 Wisconsin Film Festival.

NOMAD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BRUCE CHATWIN (2019, UK, 90 min.) Werner Herzog recreates the journeys of his friend and collaborator Bruce Chatwin, a celebrated adventurer and writer who died from AIDS in 1989. Through eight distinct chapters, Herzog travels to Patagonia, the Black Mountains of Wales, and the Australia Outback, encountering concepts, people, and places from Chatwin’s explorations. An eclectic mix of teachers and experts, from mountain guides to Australian aboriginal elders, discuss the convergences of nature and myth that fascinated Chatwin, and heartfelt interviews with his widow and biographer reveal insights into his personal life. Chatwin’s own audio recordings, added to the mix, give him a vivid presence in this tender tribute. Despite the focus on another artist, the signatures of Herzog’s films are all here: his reflective voiceover, gorgeous shots of bizarre landscapes, and clips from his past projects that involved Chatwin in some way. Nomad finds Herzog in an elegiac mode of filmmaking, contemplating the loss of a friend and trying to recapture his unique perspective on a mysterious world. (Matt St. John)

Beginning September 10, the Cinematheque has a limited number of opportunities for Wisconsin residents only to view Nomad at home for free. To receive access, send an email to info@cinema.wisc.edu, and make sure to include the word HERZOG in the subject line or the first line of the email. Please note that the movie will only be viewable within the state of Wisconsin.

On a new episode of our Cinematalk podcast, our special guest is Madison-based journalist Rob Thomas, film critic, features editor, and social media editor for the Capital Times, where he’s been a part of the staff since 1999. Rob and the Cinematheque's Jim Healy talk about Nomad and its relation to Herzog’s prolific body of work. Plus, as commercial movie theaters begin to re-open, Rob’s been reporting from the front lines and the discussion turns to the current state of cinema exhibition here in Madison. Scroll down and listen below, or listen here on Soundcloud. You can also subscribe to Cinemtalk through Apple Podcasts.

Stay healthy and safe. We value your support for the Cinematheque and we look forward to being able to watch movies with you soon in the proper cinematic settings of 4070 Vilas Hall and the Chazen Museum of Art.