Ballad of a Righteous Merchant

Werner Herzog is one of the most celebrated global filmmakers of the past century, responsible for heralded works of cinema such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Grizzly Man. A fresh and candid glimpse of one of the great masters of cinema at work by longtime friend and collaborator, Ballad of a Righteous Merchant chronicles the making of Herzog's modern classic My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, which stars Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, and Chloë Sevigny.

That film was inspired by the true story of an actor who murdered his mother. Ballad of a Righteous Merchant explores the process through which this event, for which an ancient myth was the catalyst, is transformed into fiction. Building on the legacy of previous documentaries about Herzog, this one shows a side of him known only to his friends and close collaborators. Refreshingly candid and surprisingly revealing, this portrait in no way diminishes the revered director's mystique. Rather, it deepens appreciation of his humanity and offers as much an ongoing conversation with the viewer as with Herzog. The film is an insider's insight into his enduring and unmistakable craft.

With humor and warmth to match its philosophical insights, Ballad of a Righteous Merchant explores some of the deepest and most abiding themes of Herzog's films through this unique chronicling of one of his most idiosyncratic works.

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FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "It is a portrait of one of the great masters of cinema at work."

-Herbert Golder