Congratulations Werner Herzog on his 80th birthday!

Werner Herzog, who turns 80 on Monday, 05.09.2022, is a true cinema legend who has grown together with the Hof International Film Festival (IHF). Already in 1968 (2nd IHF), when the modest addition "The smallest film festival in the world" adorned our poster, he was in the program with his short film LETZTE WORTE . Numerous other films followed, most recently in 2019 FAMILY ROMANCE, LLC.

Werner Herzog has now made over 70 films and, according to TIME MAGAZINE, is one of the 100 most influential people in the world. With films such as FITZCARRALDO, AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD and WOYZECK, the filmmaker has forever secured a place in the minds of the cineastes of this world.

But at the Film Days, Werner Herzog scored far beyond the cinema. He is a founding member of the FC Hofer Filmtage team of the traditional football match of the filmmakers against the Hofer of FC Filmwelt. With 14 games between 1968 and 1993, Werner Herzog still holds the record of the top scorer.

It is the deep friendship between him and festival founder Heinz Badewitz (Werner Herzog liked to act as a language translator here), his laconic humor and the unbroken love of film with which he not only enriches the film days to this day.

Dear Werner, we congratulate you on your 80th birthday!