The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

Opening shot of the film, showing Steiner taking flight in Planica
Directed by Werner Herzog
Produced by Werner Herzog
Written by Werner Herzog
Starring Walter Steiner
Werner Herzog
Narrated by Werner Herzog
Music by Popol Vuh
Cinematography Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein
Edited by Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus
Production
company
Distributed by Werner Herzog Filmproduktion
Release dates
1974
Running time
45 min
Country West Germany
Language German
English
Budget DEM 72.000 (estimated)

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner (German: Die Große Ekstase des Bildschnitzers Steiner) is a 1974 documentary film by German filmmaker Werner Herzog. It is about Walter Steiner, a celebrated ski jumper of his era who worked as a carpenter for his full-time occupation. Showcased is Steiner's quest for a world record in ski flying, as well as the dangers involved in the sport. Herzog has called it "one of my most important films."[1]

Production

The film includes footage shot in the German towns of Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, as well as Planica in Yugoslavia (now Slovenia). The film was made as part of a series for a German television station, which restricted in some ways the content. Herzog's original cut was 60 minutes long, but it was edited down to 45 minutes to fit in a one-hour television spot. The station also required Herzog himself to appear on camera, which he had not typically done in his documentaries until this point.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Herzog, Werner (2001). Herzog on Herzog. Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-20708-1.
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