"Jeder Mensch ist ein Abgrund, es schwindelt einem, wenn man hinabsieht" *
In his latest documentary Werner Herzog investigates the reasons behind why people kill and why a state kills. He explores a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas not describing the mere facts but, in his own words, focusing on the truth of death and also of life. Herzog achieves what he describes as “a gaze into the abyss of the human soul" through intimate conversations with various people involved in the case, including Michael Perry eight days prior his execution by lethal injection, the families of the victims and of the perpetrators and a state executioner; each party with very different yet truthful outlooks on life, society and death.
Herzog is one of my heroes, a living legend. This was my second Q&A with him and, as usual, everything he had to say was so interesting and fascinating. His ability of elaborating and explaining really difficult concepts in the most natural and eloquent way never ceases to amaze me. I could listen to him talking for hours!
*"Every man is an abyss and you get dizzy looking into it" (from Woyzeck by Georg Buechner)
