Werner Herzog on poetry — “the poet must not avert his eyes…the poet has to live a real solid pure raw life”

The legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog was profiled in today’s Guardian newspaper with a particular focus on his comedic sensibilities. Well worth a read for an insight into the mind of a quirky genius. The above video is also another classic Herzog interview with his typical acerbic wit mixed with his profound philosophical take on the world. His words on the role of the poet seem particularly striking and well chosen. Do stick around for the rest of the interview though where he tackles Wrestlemania and the grotesquerie of Anna Nicole Smith.

Werner Herzog – Total ledgebag!

UPDATE: Here is our recent comedy sketch parodying Werner Herzog. We imagined a documentary where he tackles the subject of a contemporary Dublin inner-city skanger as if his life were a revelatory Joycean narrative.