Oh, I would so go to this if I could… and were a filmmaker (maybe one day). Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School will take place in the form of 3-day seminars held “at varying locations and at infrequent intervals,” and promises to be kick-ass. You do have to submit a short film and be selected in order to participate, so it’s not just like any old seminar. Actually, that last bit is an understatment. Check out his mission statement:
The Rogue Film School is not for the faint-hearted. It is for those who have traveled on foot, who have worked as bouncers in sex clubs or as wardens in a lunatic asylum, for those who are willing to learn about lock-picking or forging shooting permits in countries not favouring their projects. In short: it is for those who have a sense for poetry. For those who are pilgrims. For those who can tell a story to four-year-old children and hold their attention. For those who have a fire burning within. For those who have a dream.
The “about” page goes more in depth. Here are a couple of notable items:
– Related, but more practical subjects, will be the art of lockpicking. Traveling on foot. The exhilaration of being shot at unsuccessfully. The athletic side of filmmaking. The creation of your own shooting permits. The neutralization of bureaucracy. Guerrilla tactics. Self reliance.
– Censorship will be enforced. There will be no talk of shamans, of yoga classes, nutritional values, herbal teas, discovering your Boundaries, and Inner Growth.
Looks like fun, eh? Well, for the rest of us there’s always his new film, which I cannot wait to see. It’s a remake of Abel Ferrara’s
Bad Lieutenant, starring Nicholas Cage. I’ve avoided the reviews and trailers, but have gathered that it’s going to be awesome, and might be even more messed up than the original. Regarding Cage’s participation, I tend to enjoy his work insomuch as I enjoy that of the director he’s working with (the last great example I can think of is Adaptation). Also, Herzog puts a lot of stock in casting, so I have a feeling it’s going to be a great fit.
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