Werner Herzog on "Truth" vs "Facts"

Documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog discusses the difference between "truth" and "facts." In his films, he tries to discover the "ecstatic truth" and talks about "intensifying truth."

Cinema verite was a consequence of the 60s and the Vietnam War. The result was the thought that facts constituted truth.

Herzog quotes the French author André Gide: “I modify facts in such a way that they resemble truth more than reality.”

Michaelangelo's statue of Pietà. Jesus in the lap of his mother, Mary. Jesus has the tormented face of a 33 year-old man and his mother is 17. Did he want to cheat us? Did he want to give us fake news? Defraud us? Mislead us? No, he wanted to illuminate us by intensifying truth.

Werner Herzog encourages young filmmakers to move to more imaginative documentary filmmaking. They should "go wild."

In "Cave of Forgotten Dreams", there's a postscript that isn't about Paleolithic paintings from 30,000 years ago. It's about albino mutant radioactive crocodiles. He wanted to bring the audience into the realm of poetry and imagination.

Shot and edited by Viva Videography.