The Camerimage Film Festival, which focuses on the art of cinematography, will honor director Werner Herzog (“Fitzcarraldo”), along with his collaborator, Peter Zeitlinger (“Losses to be Expected”), with its Cinematographer-Director Duo Award.
The accolade spotlights collaboration between helmers and their DPs, and both creators will be on hand to receive the trophy at Camerimage, which will celebrate its 31st edition in Torun, Poland, on Nov. 11-18.
Herzog and Zeitlinger have worked together since 1995’s “Death for Five Voices” and their collaboration has yielded a plethora of acclaimed projects, including “Into the Abyss,” “Into the Inferno,” “Queen of the Desert” and “Salt and Fire.”
Prague-born Zeitlinger (above, left), who honed his skills at the Vienna Conservatory, has a repertoire that extends form art house cinema to documentaries to more mainstream fare such as James Franco’s “Future World.” Herzog (above, right) – a multihyphenate whose credits span director, screenwriter, producer, actor and novelist – is considered a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films have played in Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Sundance.
Together the team of two have created six features and multiple joint projects in other genres. Their crime drama “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,” starring Nicolas Cage, exemplifies their unique style. Their “Encounters at the End of the World,” a story about people living and working in Antarctica, was nominated for a best documentary feature Oscar.
In the documentary “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” Herzog and Zeitlinger take us to the Chauvet cavern in France, where the walls are decorated with some of the world’s oldest figurative cave paintings, which completely changed our understanding of the origins of human civilization. Made in 3D, the film depicts the cave in all its lofty beauty. Demonstrating prowess with cinematography technology, the duo designed dedicated adapters for their 3D cameras.
At Camerimage, Herzon and Zeitlinger will present an overview of their joint accomplishments, educating an audience of enthusiastic filmmakers on the possibilities of their craft and the unique possibilities of what can be accomplished by a harmonious cinematographer-director team.
