Film director and screenwriter Werner Herzog receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the opening ceremony of the 82nd International Venice Film Festival, on August 27, 2025 at Venice Lido. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP) (Photo by STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this interview series with Werner Herzog, we covered a lot of ground. There was his new film, “Ghost Elephants,” the 2005 documentary, “Grizzly Man,” fear, God, close calls with death, mountaineer Reinhold Messner, and more.
Here, in this third and final part, Herzog touches on his acting, writing and poetry and how it rates to film directing, his interest in meteorites, his thoughts on UFO’s, and what’s next for him. Following are edited excerpts from a longer Zoom conversation.
Jim Clash: You are a renaissance man of sorts, acting, writing books and poetry, dabbling in opera – all in addition to your filmmaking.
Werner Herzog: I’ve followed a vision from early on. When I began to travel on foot, I knew I was a poet. Actually I started out there, and all of the books I’ve written so far in my opinion have a more direct connection with audiences than do my films.
In fact, I believe the books will outlive my films. So I keep writing and directing with equal intensity and devotion. I’m not completely convinced, of course, but I see it. I’m not a good prophet. In many of my predictions, I’ve been wrong [laughs].
Clash: Keeping with your tradition of offbeat film topics, did you ever think of doing a straight documentary about UFO’s in addition to your alien fiction movie, “The Wild Blue Yonder”?
Herzog: It’s good for sci-fi movies and for all of the new-age crazies and collective paranoia. Let’s face it, it’s as simple as that. Let’s make wonderful movies about it [laughs]. Of course, we have not encountered aliens on our planet yet.
Werner Herzog and Les Blank during 49th San Francisco International Film Festival – “The Wild Blue Yonder” – Reception for Herzog at 2223 Restaurant and Bar in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Arun Nevader/WireImage)
WireImage
However, I’m very convinced that there is some life on other planets far, far out, way too far to ever reach. Maybe it’s in the form of microbes, or algae – not even as sophisticated as cockroaches. We share the same history with the universe, the same physics and chemistry. Hence, it is not far-fetched to speculate there are other forms of life out there.
Clash: One of your more recent films, “Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds,” deals with the subject of meteorites. I’m curious – do you collect them yourself?
Herzog: No, I do not collect them. But while I was doing the film, I got two little meteorites as a present from people out in the field.
Clash: Now that “Ghost Elephants” is completed and has been released, what is your next project?
Herzog: I started another film two weeks ago in Mexico, and have already shot a few days there. Then I have to go to Austria to shoot.
ForbesWerner Herzog’s New Film ‘Ghost Elephants’ Premieres NationwideBy Jim ClashForbesWerner Herzog On God, Close Calls With Death, Climber Reinhold MessnerBy Jim Clash