When Werner Herzog pulls Bruce Chatwin’s leather rucksack up onto the table, you feel as though you’re being shown something truly precious.
He shows it off to his interviewee, a scholar of Chatwin’s travel writing, while he expounds on what it meant to Chatwin to own it and how important it became. As Herzog talks about how he directed a movie starring a main character based on Chatwin, using the bag as an essential prop, it becomes clear that the time Herzog got to spend with the bag turned it into something deeply personal for both men.
Ovid.tv Documents Chatwin’s Historic Contributions:
Nomad is Herzog’s way of paying homage to Chatwin. He follows the work Chatwin did studying and writing about indigenous peoples, as well as detailing some of Chatwin’s own life, most notably his wonderful storytelling ability and gift of gab, which allowed him to make friends wherever he traveled.
From this writer’s point of view, Herzog’s personal connection to the subject of his documentary is what truly carries this piece. Whether he’s telling his story of being stranded with Chatwin’s rucksack on the side of a mountain, or retracing his steps with Aboriginal peoples in Australia, you can feel the passion driving him to create this documentary about one of his best friends.
You too may find yourself awed by Nomad’s breathtaking vistas of the filming locations, and of the real-life story of this intrepid explorer, writer, and the friendships that he built during his remarkable life and connection to Herzog.
Fans of documentary, adventure films, or indigenous stories will love Nomad: in the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin.
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For more information visit the Ovid.tv webpage for Nomad
Photos Courtesy of Ovid.tv