Athlete of cinema

Speaking at a meet-the-press organised as part of the 15th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) Werner Herzog, renowned German film-maker said that he considers himself more an athlete of cinema than an artiste. 'I have a strange difficulty in viewing myself as an artiste. I see myself more as an athlete of cinema because film-making involves overcoming a number of physical challenges. My film ‘Aguirre: The Wrath of God,'for example, was made in extreme physical conditions,'Mr. Herzog said. 'I think I want to be a good soldier of cinema,'he added.Equating cinema to poetry, Mr. Herzog said a good film was more about poetry, rhythm and music than technicalities. 'I always encourage young directors to go for substance and poetry in their films rather than focussing on technicalities and finance. You should not be too academic in your approach. However, ultimately what constitutes cinema is a mystery,' he said.