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Upcoming · Ally · 2027
Werner Herzog

Person · Director

Werner Herzog

Born
September 5, 1942
From
Munich, Allemagne
  • Also:
  • Writer
  • Producer
133
Credits on file
7
Decades active
1
Awards
1
Upcoming

In short · Directing since 1962, 7 decades active, 133 credits.

Now & next

  1. Upcoming

    Ally

  2. In the news

    Venice 2026: Films in Contention

    “The 83rd Venice Film Festival could feature high-profile directors like David Fincher, Aaron Sorkin, and Werner Herzog, alongside a strong art-house lineup. With no major studio films at Cannes this year, attention shifts to Venice as a potential showcase for significant cinematic works. The festival may highlight a mix of mainstream and independent projects. This edition is seen as a key event in the film calendar.”

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Biography

Werner Herzog (German: [ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhɛɐ̯tsoːk]; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, recognized as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films frequently portray ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, individuals with unique talents in obscure fields, or people in conflict with nature. Herzog is known for his distinctive filmmaking approach, which includes forgoing storyboards, emphasizing improvisation, and placing cast and crew in situations similar to those of the characters in his films.

Herzog began his first film, Herakles, in 1961 at the age of nineteen. Since then, he has produced, written, and directed over sixty feature films and documentaries, including Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974), Heart of Glass (1976), Stroszek (1977), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982), Cobra Verde (1987), Lessons of Darkness (1992), Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997), My Best Fiend (1999), Invincible (2000), Grizzly Man (2005), Encounters at the End of the World (2007), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010). He has also published more than a dozen books of prose and directed as many operas.

French filmmaker François Truffaut once described Herzog as "the most important film director alive." American film critic Roger Ebert stated that Herzog "has never created a single film that is compromised, shameful, made for pragmatic reasons, or uninteresting. Even his failures are spectacular." In 2009, Herzog was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine.

Filmography · 73 of 73

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Director

37 credits

Actor

36 credits

Awards & Nominations

1 nomination

Academy Awards

  • Nom2008Oscar — Documentary (feature)

Originals

Streaming originals this person worked on.

Representation

Agent

Gersh Agency· Updated Jun 10, 2026

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Additional credits60Show

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