Werner Herzog

Ecstatic Truth and Other Useless Conquests

Werner Herzog
Kristoffer Hegnsvad
RRP:
NZ$ 54.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 43.99
Hardback
h220 x 156mm - 256pg
14 Jun 2021 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9781789144109
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
Werner Herzog came to fame in the 1970s as the European new wave explored new cinematic ideas. With films like Signs of Life (1968), Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) and Fitzcarraldo (1982), Herzog became the subject of public debate, particularly due to his larger-than life characters, often played by the mad Klaus Kinski. After the success of his documentary Grizzly Man (2005), Herzog began to lead a new form of hybrid documentary, and his tough attitude towards life and film made him a director' s director for a new generation. Kristoffer Hegnsvad' s award-winning book guides the reader through films depicting gangster priests, bear whisperers, shoe eating, revolutionary filmmakers. . . and a penguin. It is full of rare insights from Herzog' s otherwise secret Rogue film school, and features interviews with Herzog.
"Hegnsvad' s book about the German filmmaker Werner Herzog is not a journalistic examination of cinema, but a philosophical journey into the creative workshop of a remarkable artist. Through conversational partners like Benjamin, Adorno, Nietzsche, and Deleuze, the book deals with questions like: What is cinema? What is the relationship between imagery and truth? Different concepts of the movie director-as philosopher, ethnologist, explorer, and scientist-are also discussed. It' s a study about what it requires to be curious about the world, about life, and about pushing the limits when it comes to how this curiosity is pursued. " * Modern Times Review * "Hegnsvad has written an insightful and well-communicated book, which provides independent and new insights into Werner Herzog' s films. " * Danish Arts Foundation, "Ten Best Books of 2018," on the Danish edition * "Solitary searcher and skillful self-promoter Werner Herzog is an artist whose cinematic visions, fictional or not, are invariably documentaries about himself. Curious and awed, his erudite sometime student Hegnsvad reveals a recondite Herzog personality no less fascinating than his films. " -- J. Hoberman, author of "Film After Film" "Hegnsvad' s book is a breathtaking and beautifully illustrated journey through Herzog' s many conquests. It is meant for anyone who wants to know what goes on at the Rogue Film School or acquire insight into the director' s exploits without having to drag a ship over a mountain, walk from Vienna to Munich, or eat their own shoes. If you' ve ever found yourself longing to become a member of Herzog' s guerrilla band of gangster priests, you will probably enjoy this book. " -- Brad Prager, professor of German and film studies, University of Missouri "In this lively and perceptive book, Hegnsvad stages a wonderful encounter between the work of cinema' s most peripatetic master, and the nomadic thinking that can deepen our appreciation and solicit our participation in Werner Herzog' s marvelous life journey. " -- James Schamus
Kristoffer Hegnsvad is a writer and documentary filmmaker, and the Film & TV editor and critic at Dagbladet Politiken, Denmark' s biggest daily newspaper. He is the director of Looking for Exits: Conversations with a Wingsuit Artist (2015) and Laamb (2013).
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781789144109
Published: 14 Jun 2021
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Format: Hardback
Height: 220mm
Width: 156mm
Pages: 256

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information