Werner Herzog (German: [ˈvɛʁnɐ ˈhɛʁtsoːk]; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusual talents in obscure fields, or individuals in conflict with nature. His style involves avoiding storyboards, emphasizing improvisation, and placing his cast and crew into real situations mirroring those in the film they are working on. In 1961, when Herzog was 19, he started work on his first film
Herakles. He has since produced, written, and directed over 60 films and documentaries such as
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972),
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974),
Heart of Glass (1976),
Stroszek (1977),
Nosferatu the Vampyre..."> ()