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
