Feb 05, 2015 some years earlier, german filmmaker werner herzog had pledged to eat my shoe if errol morris a 29yearold protege hed met on the uc berkeley campus finished his first film, a. I am my films directed by christian weisenborn and erwin keusch. Werner herzog, tom luddy, michael goodwin line from this film. Documentary filmmaker les blank captured the unfolding of this production, made more perilous by herzogs determination to shoot the most. In response, herzog rolled up his sleeves, and got to work as well in the kitchen, where he and uberchef alice waters tried their mightiest to concoct a decent recipe for leather footwear. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 directed by les blank. A short documentary in which directors werner herzog and errol morris make a bet which results in herzog being forced to eat his own shoe. A mythmaker extraordinaire, this idiosyncratic and quite often hatstand german film director has, during the course of his career, jumped into a cactus patch to. Join us for an evening of celebrating the documentary legacy of les blank during his birthday month of november. They discuss how herzog convinced his brilliant, but broke, writermusicianscientist friend, erroll morris, to make his first film. Werner herzog pledged to erol morris that if morris finished a film, then herzog would eat his shoe. Werner herzog loses a bet to errol morris, and eats his. German film producer werner herzog is shown as he prepares to eat his shoe because of a lost bet. For nearly five years, acclaimed german filmmaker werner herzog desperately tried to complete one of the most ambitious and difficult films of his career, fitzcarraldo, the story of one mans attempt to build an opera house deep in the amazon jungle.
Werner herzog biography, movie highlights and photos allmovie. Werner herzog eats his shoe has two origin stories. Aug 31, 2017 preceded by werner herzog eats his shoe 1980. The result was gates of heaven and now were going to. Anderthalb tage fussweg directed by gyorgy polnauer. Why werner herzog is the ultimate mans man telegraph. Morris finished the film in 1980 and herzog, being herzog, made good on his promise, getting master chef alice waters to simmer a leather shoe in stock for five hours before personally consuming the edible bits. The documentary does a nice job building up tension and theres some nice side talk about the importance of film. Just to complete the documentarian trifecta, the 20minute short film. Werner herzog eats his shoe is a short documentary film directed by les blank in 1980 which depicts director werner herzog living up to his promise that he would eat his shoe if errol morris ever completed the film gates of heaven.
This year well be hosting the portland debut of one of les last films with gina leibrecht how to smell a rose. He told morris that if he ever finally got a feature finished, hed eat his shoe. Sep 11, 2012 among the oddest and most inspirational short films of the past several decades is a 1980 documentary by les blank called werner herzog eats his shoe. In a characteristically dark attempt to be encouraging, herzog quipped that he would eat his shoe if morris completed the film. But what i love about this film and herzog in general is the message. Below is a collection of links to all the werner herzog documentaries i could find. Herzog told the student who was always talking about making a film but never actually. Among the oddest and most inspirational short films of the past several decades is a 1980 documentary by les blank called werner herzog eats his shoe. In the first, herzog and morris got into an argument, and herzog told morris that that he would never finish his documentary, gates of heaven. Audio commentary by director les blank, editor and sound recordist maureen gosling, and fitzcarraldo director werner herzog. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unique talents in obscure fields, or individuals who are in conflict with nature.
When werner herzog ate his shoe hollywood reporter. This entertaining short film by les blank shows the camaraderie among. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 out of 4 funny short has director werner herzog eating his shoe after losing a bet to a friend. Dec 26, 2012 werner herzog eats his shoe is a short documentary film directed by les blank in 1980 which depicts director werner herzog living up to his promise that he would eat his shoe if errol morris ever completed the film gates of heaven. In 1979, morris did so, and a short documentary by les blank, werner herzog eats his shoe, immortalizes the stunt. The filmmaker captured the short film, werner herzog eats his shoe in 1979 herzog lost a bet to thenfledgling filmmaker errol morris who he ventured would never make a movie and then later directed and shot the astounding doc, burden of dreams 1982, about the chaotic production herzog s fitzcarraldo, filmed in the jungles of. Werner herzog is forging ahead in his unique cinematic quest for truth. A visit with ricky leacock on his farm in normandy and reviving the classic les blank short film werner herzog eats his shoe. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 les blank synopsis.
This documentary is shot by les blank and details a bet herzog made to a friend that he would eat his shoe if his friend completed a film. Food pioneer alice waters cooked the shoe for five hours in garlic and wine. Watch werner herzog eat his shoe, cooked by chef alice waters. As a young graduate student morris had approached herzog as a fan of his work, and the two became friends. Werner herzog is jumping right back in the narrativefeature saddle for his next film, a romantic thriller called salt and fire set amid a global catastrophe. Watch werner herzog eat his shoe, cooked by chef alice. At the event, herzog suggested that he hoped the act would serve to encourage anyone having difficulty bringing a project to fruition. Garlic is as good as ten mothers directed by les blank. He promised his former student errol morris that if he ever completed his. Bbc hardtalk werner herzog film director 20115 duration. But herzog cut it up and ate some of it on the stage of the uc theater in front of an audience who seemed to enjoy it a lot. In 1977, morris finally completed his feature, gates of heaven.
Morris did indeed complete his film, which was called gates of heaven 1978 and, true to his word, herzog boiled and ate his show at the films premiere in berkeley. Werner herzog celebrity profile check out the latest werner herzog photo gallery. Werner herzog eats his shoe was directed by les blank and stars werner herzog and errol morris. Eventhenlegendary director bet morris that he would never finish it, saying that if morris did, herzog would eat his shoe. In a moment of frustration, herzog blurted out that if morris ever actually finished the movie he kept talking about, hed eat his shoe. Entertaining, funny, and oddly thought provoking 20 minute short, in which, quite literally, director werner herzog eats his shoe.
Les blank, a good friend of both filmmakers, captured the event on film for posterity, and werner herzog eats his shoe offers a witty look at how to cook a shoe, herzog s history of keeping unusual promises, his views on the relationship between cuisine and cinema, and the movie by morris that made the event possible. Werner herzog shooting his next feature film in bolivia. In the course of convincing him, herzog said he would eat his shoe if the film was completed. So him eating a shoe doesnt seem to be the most insane thing hes ever done. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 werner herzog eats his. While he was struggling to complete his first featurelength film, documentarian errol morris was discussing his problems with his friend and mentor, the acclaimed german director werner herzog. In 1979, a 35yearold alice waters was asked for her help in fulfilling an. In addition to his directing and screenwriting work, herzog has acted in a number of films, perhaps most memorably in les blanks 1980 documentary werner herzog eats his shoe. Newly incentivized, morris completed the feature, whereupon herzog was. Werner herzog is interviewed and followed by les blank to a publicity event. Next is another les blank production, werner herzog eats his shoe 1980, 21 mins, which documents herzog making good on a bet he made with filmmaker.
Werner herzog biography, movie highlights and photos. Having lost a bet with documentarian errol morris, werner herzog eats his shoe. Some years earlier, german filmmaker werner herzog had pledged to eat my shoe if errol morris a 29yearold protege hed met on the uc berkeley campus finished his first film, a. German, english, french, spanish 30 minutes, colour available in our shop. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 one thing leads to another.
Herzog claimed that he was so sure of morriss imminent failure, if the film ever was completed, herzog would eat his own shoe. Blank filmed the event in 1980 and, true to his style, stepped back from the subject and created a film about making honest art. In 1978, when the film gates of heaven premiered, werner herzog cooked and publicly ate his shoe, an event later incorporated into a short documentary werner herzog eats his shoe by les blank. Jun 15, 2018 yes, german film director werner herzog really does eat his shoe to fulfill a vow to fellow filmmaker errol morris boldly exemplifying his belief that people must have the guts to attempt what they dream of. The film includes clips from both gates of heaven and herzogs 1970 feature even dwarfs started small. Werner herzog bets fellow filmmaker errol morris that he wont be able to complete his debut feature gates of heaven 1978. With werner herzog, tom luddy, michael goodwin, alice waters.
Just to complete the documentarian trifecta, the 20minute short film, werner herzog eats his shoe 1980, was directed by the great berkeley filmmaker. Dec 21, 2019 morris did indeed complete his film, which was called gates of heaven 1978 and, true to his word, herzog boiled and ate his show at the films premiere in berkeley. Werner herzog eats his shoe is a short documentary film directed by les blank in 1980 which depicts director werner herzog living up to his promise that he. In 1979, les blank took a detour to film german filmmaker werner herzog honoring a vow he made to errol morris that he herzog would eat. Herzog once promised to eat his shoe if errol morris completed the movie project on pet cemeteries that he had been working on, in order to challenge and motivate morris, whom herzog perceived as incapable of following up on the projects he conceived. Les blank directed a short documentary, werner herzog eats his shoe. And its very weird, but herzog is a bit of an odd guy himself. The film was the result of a bet herzog once had with an american film student. Watch werner herzog eats his shoe online vimeo on demand. Werner herzog the reader wiki, reader view of wikipedia. Naturally, there are short cuts from the most famous shoeeating film ever and theres a ton of them, right. Werner herzog loses a bet to errol morris, and eats his shoe. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 directed by les blank english 20 minutes, colour chambre 666 1982 directed by wim wenders portrait werner herzog written and directed by werner herzog this documentary is a portrayal of werner herzogs artistic development and work. With a resolve bordering on insanity, herzog struggles to realize his vision, vowing to see the film completed even if it leads to his undoing.
Werner herzog, alice waters, errol morris in the late 1970s, thenrookie documentarist errol morris was having trouble finishing his debut gates of heaven. When the film was completed, herzog boiled his shoe and ate everything but the sole, claiming one does not eat the bones of the chicken. Everything i know about werner herzog thought catalog. Werner herzog celebrity profile check out the latest werner herzog photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes.
As a way of motivating errol morris to find a way to make his first feature film, werner herzog swore hed eat his shoe if morris could complete it. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 it all began with a challenge in the late 1970s from the great eccentric german film director werner herzog to aspiring documentarian errol morris. Sep 07, 2011 in 1979, les blank took a detour to film german filmmaker werner herzog honoring a vow he made to errol morris that he herzog would eat his shoe if morris ever actually made one of his films he. In the late 70s, morris released gates of heaven 1978 movie, and thus herzog cooked up his leather sh. It was herzogs way of making good on a bet to eat his shoe ifwhen errol morris, then a graduate student at berkeley, completed his first film, gates of heaven, which morris did in 1979. Werner herzog eats his shoe 1980 werner herzog eats. In 1979, les blank took a detour to film german filmmaker werner herzog honoring a vow he made to errol morris that he herzog would eat his shoe if morris ever actually made one of his films he. Yes, german film director werner herzog really does eat his shoe to fulfill a vow to. Morris continued to make gates oh heaven, and herzog is a man of his word. Herzog makes good on his promise in the film werner herzog eats his shoe 1980, directed by les blank. Veronica ferres plays a scientist up against the head of a major corporation responsible for an ecological disaster in south. He does it in response to a bet he made with then budding, but procrastinating filmmaker errol morris.
Most of the films can be found on netflix and youtube. He explains that he performed the stunt to encourage novice producers to practice their art. Also, i find it fascinating how his stories can take an unexpected unfortunate turn and end on an inspiring note. A man of his word, herzog later ate the shoe in front of an audience inside berkeleys u. In 1978, when the film gates of heaven premiered, werner herzog cooked and publicly ate his shoe, an event later incorporated into a short. Herzog claimed that he was so sure of morriss imminent failure, if the film ever was completed.
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