Die große Ekstase des Bildschnitzers Steiner
Werner Herzog / DE, 1974 / 45 min.
Being able to fly like a bird, hovering above the earth…. ski jumper Walter Steiner is pursuing his dream to defy gravity. Werner Herzog follows Steiner in his ecstatic dream jumps at the 1972 World Championships. With uplifting music from krautrock band Popol Vuh.
What motivates elite athletes? Eternal fame? Admiration? Breaking records? None of the above seem to interest Walter Steiner, a simple wood carver. What drives this gifted elite sportsman – Steiner was head and shoulders above his competitors – is weightlessness; letting go of the earth, wind rushing past his ears, in jumps of 166 metres or more.
Images © Werner Herzog Film
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Details
Director
Werner Herzog
Production year
1974
Country
DE
Original title
Die große Ekstase des Bildschnitzers Steiner
Length
45 min.
Language
German
Subtitles
ENG
Format
DCP
Part of
Werner Herzog
Eye Filmmuseum presents an exhibition and extensive film programme around the work of celebrated filmmaker Werner Herzog. With an unorthodox oeuvre of more than seventy features, documentaries and shorts, Herzog has fascinated audiences with unforgettable stories, images and characters for more than half a century. His films grant us insights into the relationship between people and the chaotic world around them, as well as into the endless indifference of nature towards human life.
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