logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
56m 53s

Werner Herzog’s ecstatic truth

Vox
About this episode

Sean Illing speaks with one of his heroes: Werner Herzog. Herzog is a filmmaker, poet, and author of the new memoir Every Man for Himself and God Against All. They discuss "ecstatic truth," a term invented by Herzog to capture what he's really after in his work. Illing also asks him a range of big questions, such as why he is interested in Mars and whether he thinks humanity is destroying itself.


Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area

Guest: Werner Herzog, author, Every Man for Himself and God Against All

References: 

Every Man for Himself and God Against All by Werner Herzog (Penguin Random House, 2023) 

Of Walking in Ice by Werner Herzog

Last Whispers by Lena Herzog (2022)

“Werner Herzog Talks Virtual Reality” by Patrick House (The New Yorker, Jan. 2016)


Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

This episode was made by: 

  • Producer: Katelyn Bogucki
  • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
  • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Today
America's lawyers vs. China's engineers
America has a hard time building stuff. Roads. Trains. Bridges. Housing. Everything takes seemingly forever. Meanwhile, China seems to have no trouble at all: high-speed rails, solar panels, electric cars, bridges, ports, all churned out at breakneck speed. Why is that? Sean's gu ... Show More
51m 37s
Aug 18
So, what exactly is the “New Right?”
A loose movement of radical intellectuals is driving American politics. They’re called the “New Right,” and they share a basic hostility to American liberal democracy, a real desire to fundamentally overhaul it, and real influence in the White House. But why do they think that? H ... Show More
51m 36s
Aug 11
America is losing big on sports betting
Almost every tech platform is designed to grab and hold your attention, to keep you clicking, scrolling, and buying for as long as possible. Sports gambling has become one of the clearest examples of this. The industry has created frictionless apps on your phone that let you bet ... Show More
53m 49s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
THE BIG LIE OF PRIVATE HEALTHCARE | Rob Delaney and Yanis Varoufakis
This podcast is released alongside the acclaimed new docuseries 'In The Eye Of The Storm — The Political Odyssey Of Yanis Varoufakis'. Watch it here: http://www.eyeofthestorm.infoRob Delaney is an American comedian, actor, writer and activist. He is widely known as the co-creator ... Show More
57m 30s
Mar 2018
Episode 7 - Bob
“There are thirty one million people waiting for me.”Season 1, Episode 7.The Amelia Project is a secret agency that helps its clients by faking their deaths and setting them up with a brand new identity! In this episode the client is a famous comedian… who has lost his sense of h ... Show More
19m 44s
Sep 2024
“The Internet is Not Reality” - Ari Shaffir
Ari Shaffir is an American comedian, actor, podcaster, writer, and producer. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast more than 60 times, often alongside fellow comics Shane Gillis and Mark Normand. He is the host of the You Be Trippin' Podcast (https://www.youtube.com ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2024
"Gender Gets You Cancelled, Islam Gets You Killed" - Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold is a journalist and the host of YouTube channel Heretics (https://www.youtube.com/@andrewgoldheretics). A former BBC presenter, Andrew produced documentaries focussing on bizarre and controversial subcultures. He now interviews free thinkers and heterodox figures on h ... Show More
55m 28s
Oct 2023
Sam Harris X Eric Weinstein: Israel-Palestine
Sam and Eric join us to discuss current events and debate the wider issues at play. Sam Harris is an American neuroscientist, author, and podcast host. A central voice in the New Atheism movement, he is a well-known critic of religious ideology. Eric Weinstein is a mathematical p ... Show More
2h 1m
Sep 2024
La VF de Morgan Freeman, c'est lui ! Rencontre avec Benoît Allemane !
Des Evadés à The Dark Knight en passant par Impitoyable ou Lucy, Benoît Allemane accompagne Morgan Freeman depuis plus de 30 ans ! Au micro de Voix Ouf, l'acteur revient sur son parcours et se prête au jeu de nos quiz autour de sa riche carrière ! Si ce podcast vous a plu, n'hési ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 20
Trapped in the Tropics: Stranger to Saviour
A chance encounter with an enigmatic stranger presents Warren Macdonald with the adventure opportunity of a lifetime. But deep in Queensland’s Hinchinbrook Island, a bizarre accident changes everything. Smashed to pieces and immobilised, Warren has to pin all his hopes on a man h ... Show More
54m 2s
Feb 2025
Alex Gibney's Documentary Work is Proof that "Truth is Always Stranger than Fiction"
Prolific and multi-award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney, who's responsible for the most impactful documentaries of our time -- i.e., Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, Totally Under Control, and MANY more --sits do ... Show More
33m 36s
Jul 2024
Is This the Death of Harvard? - Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker is a Canadian-American cognitive psychologist, psycholinguist, popular science author and Harvard College Professor. One of the world's leading authorities on language and the mind, he is an advocate of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind. P ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2022
Dr Steve Peters: How to Overcome Anxiety and Build Confidence
Sponsored by Ridge Wallet: Use Code “TRIGGER ” for 10% off your order at https://www.ridge.com/TRIGGER Professor Steve Peters is a Consultant Psychiatrist who specialises in the functioning of the human mind. His latest book is now available: A Path through the Jungle https://www ... Show More
1h 2m