Werner Herzog is an icon of the contemporary auteur theory. Great German director, who has lived in Los Angeles for a number of years,  makes his movies all over the world. He was born in Munich 70 years ago. He spent his childhood in the small Bavarian village, from which he went on his endless journey through all continents, including Arctic, in order to realize the exceptional desire of crossing every kind of boundaries: geographic, linguistic, social and political. Extreme forms of existence and events have a magical dimension for the director, he continuously faces the extremity, mystery, myths and paradoxes. Herzog, who is a visionary artist, does not give us unambiguous answers through his films, he merely poses universal  questions concerning human nature to himself and to the world. He made his first film more than half a century ago. Up to now, he has already made about 70 films: features and documentaries as well. He published few books, directed the operas and played as an actor in numerous films, recently he co- starred with Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall in Jac Reacher (2012).

Different worlds of Werner Herzog is an exceptional movie project, consisting of few elements:

• Multimedia exhibition: having an formula never before presented in our country. Organized in cooperation with  Deutsche Kinemathek-Museum of Film and Television, which owns the unique collection  entitled Samlung Werner Herzog, given by the director to the institution as a gift in 2009. During the exhibition, for the first time in Poland, spectators will have the opportunity to see the unknown photos and documentaries from this archive. Moreover, there will be screening of ten documentaries about Herzog, series of interviews with the director and master class lecture. The exhibition will be complemented by posters, paintings and drawings inspired by Herzog’s artistic creativity. During the exhibition, there will also take place the premiere of the wortal devoted to Herzog, which was prepared by Deutsche Kinemathek.

• Film retrospective:  including 22 outstanding works of Werner Herzog from the period of 1962-2011, both legendary feature films: Aguirre, the wrath of God (FRG 1972), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (FRG 1974), Nosferatu the Vampyre  (FRG 1978), Fitzcarraldo (FRG 1982), as well as documentaries: Fata Morgana (FRG 1970) and the most recent Into The Abyss (Canada, Germany, USA, Great Britain 2011/ polish premiere). Such a comprehensive retrospective of Herzog’s films has never been to Poland before.

• Catalogue/ album: constituting the third element of the project, first monography devoted to Herzog on Polish market and one of the few in the world. The publication includes more than 150 photographies, 30 of them are printed in Poland for the first time.

• Discussion panel Fascinations by Herzog: involving distinguished polish and German experts will take place during the Warsaw edition of the project, in the Iluzjon Cinema of Filmoteka Narodowa. Interdisciplinary scientific conference, devoted to Herzog’s artistic creativity, organized in cooperation with University of Social Sciences and Humanities, will be held in Warsaw as well.

Project is curated by Krzysztof Stanislawski, who is the author of the monogfaphic album as well.

Schedule of the project:

• press screening of Into the Abyss (2011) and monographic album presentation:
  08.11.2012, 12.00 PM, Goethe-Institut Warsaw, ul. Chmielna 13A, Warsaw
• project’s official opening
  12.10.2012 Centre of the Contemporary Art Znaki Czasu in Torun
• multimedia exhibition and film retrospective:
  12.10.–26.10.2012 Centre of the Contemporary Art Znaki Czasu in Torun
• 23.10.–28.10.2012 Kino Pod Baranami in Cracow, Rynek Glowny 27 (without exhibition)
• 13.11.–27.11.2012 Iluzjon Cinema of Filmoteka Narodowa in Warsaw, ul. Narbutta 50a
• 23.11.–02.12.2012 Helios Nowe Horyzonty in Wroclaw, ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego 19a-21
• interdisciplinary scientific conference:
  16.11.-18.11.2012 University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw, ul. Chodakowska 19,  Iluzjon Cinema of Filmoteka Narodowa in Warsaw, ul. Narbutta 50a,