Werner H.

[/ dave /]

Well, damnit if I didn't miss a perfect opportunity to answer a general list
query of a few months back relating to Werner Herzog's thoughts about Marx and
his frequent exploration of issues related to colonialism, indigenous groups,
etc., in his films.

We're doing a retrospective of his films where I work (the Walker Art Center),
and today I found myself sitting alone in the museum's rooftop
restaurant/coffee shop, with a strong coffee close at hand along with the
Janwillem van de Wetering book I'm currently reading. It was after the 3:00
closing time, and other than myself there was just a solitary couple sitting
at one of the tables outside on the terrace, high above the Minneapolis
Sculpture Garden - which provides a pretty spectacular view of the city
skyline (such as it is) and was especially nice today owing to the bright
sunlight and summer-like temperatures. We, all three of us, went about our
private business in glorious sunlit solitude.

Naturally, I later learned that one member of the couple in question,
specifically the male, was in fact Herzog himself - taking a break from his
busy schedule here at the museum. I didn't even recognize him circa 1999,
notwithstanding the innumerable visual impressions I've had from his
documentaries and such. The thing is, he got his hair cut fairly short
recently, and the moustache is gone, and I didn't hear the telltale voice as
they were on the other side of the glass. Actually, in his knit sportshirt he
looked a little more like Herzog's agent than Herzog himself. (And no curly
hair, etc.) To think I sat there for 45 minutes all alone with them and passed
the time with a book...

At any rate, I passed a question or two onto our Film Dept people and we'll
see if they can persuade Roger Ebert to ask him something at the dialogue
tonight (which I won't be at), or maybe I can collar him sometime this
weekend. If I learn anything, I'll pass it on...

-- 

/  dave  /