What does the pair of films, Fitzcarraldo, and the documentary about the making of that film, Burden of Dreams, tell us about the similarity between the main character, and the film’s director/producer Werner Herzog? How do both illustrate Kant’s notion of the Categorical Imperative in their sometimes-reckless use of indigenous people? How do the indigenous people illustrate that same concept in their use of Fitzcarraldo and his boat? On a related note; how does the film typify the 1980s era in film-making, when some directors took dangerous measures in order to achieve their cinematic visions? How does the film and meta-narrative of the documentary resonate with the era of the rubber barons which it portrays? Why does Herzog repeatedly explore the theme of jungle overpowering man, and man overcoming nature in his films?

Broadcast on:

11 Jul 2023