Movies
Werner Herzog to Be Honored with Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at Venice Film Festival
German Director Werner Herzog to Receive Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at Venice Film Festival
Washington [US], April 8 (ANI): Renowned German filmmaker Werner Herzog will be honored with the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the upcoming 82nd Venice Film Festival.
Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Herzog said, “I feel deeply honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement Honorary Golden Lion by the Venice Biennale. I have always tried to be a Good Soldier of Cinema, and this feels like a medal for my work. Thank you,” according to Deadline.
Despite the lifetime honor, Herzog made it clear that he has no plans to retire. “I work as always. A few weeks ago, I finished a documentary in Africa titled Ghost Elephants, and currently, I’m shooting my next feature film, Bucking Fastard, in Ireland. I’m also developing an animated film based on my novel The Twilight World, and voicing a character in Bong Joon Ho’s upcoming animated project,” he shared.
Born in Munich in 1942, Herzog began his filmmaking journey at age 19 after leaving college, where he briefly studied history and literature. He is best known for works such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, Grizzly Man, and Cave of Forgotten Dreams. In addition to films, Herzog has published poetry and prose.
Alberto Barbera, director of the Venice Film Festival, praised Herzog as a “physical filmmaker and indefatigable hiker,” known for pushing the boundaries of cinema. “He challenges our perception of reality, seeking ecstatic truth and new sensorial experiences,” Barbera said. He highlighted Herzog’s pioneering role in New German Cinema with influential films like Signs of Life, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and more.
Barbera added that Herzog continues to blur the lines between documentary and fiction, while exploring communication, the interplay between images and music, and the tension between nature’s beauty and its inevitable decay.
