The first time I heard of Werner Herzog was when I was reading Roger Ebert’s memoir “Life Itself”. I had still not seen a single one of the legendary directors films, but his work had made such an impact on the life of Ebert, that it would inspire anyone to seek out work that could make any human feel that way. I’ve certainly rectified the blind spot of Herzog’s work- I admittedly still need to see more of his films- but every time he releases another movie or documentary, it becomes evident that he is one of the greatest living creators of cinema today. Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin might be one of his greatest documentaries yet, a bold statement, considering Herzog has released excellent documentaries, one after the other. Last year was Meeting Gorbachev, the in-depth conversation with the former leader of the Soviet Union. The year before that was Into the Inferno, a unique look at various active volcanoes, and specifically the volcano that sat behind North Korea’s authoritative regime. With Nomad, Herzog is surprisingly opening himself up, but in typical Herzog fashion, he does so through the eyes of his good friend and author Bruce Chatwin. Nomad follows the journey of a friend, the nomad people through the ages, and the lasting impact someone can have on us, long after they are gone.
