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ZDF picks up Werner Herzog’s Gazing Into The Abyss: A Tale Of Death, A Tale Of Life

With his last film, Cave Of Forgotten Dreams, playing to strong returns out of both its run on the festival circuit (I saw the film at SXSW this year and absolutely fell in love with Herzog’s striking look into cave art) and its subsequent theatrical release, director Werner Herzog has found a home, in a way, for his next film.

The director is next set to helm a film entitled Gazing Into The Abyss: A Tale Of Death, A Tale Of Life, and according to Variety, ZDF Enterprises has picked up the worldwide rights to the film, and will be distributing it via theaters and on TV outside of the US and UK.

Abyss will follow the story of various death row inmates who Herzog is able to speak with, and will see Herzog talking to t hem about subjects like life and death, while also examining their stories and crimes.   The film itself should be ready for either a late 2011 festival debut or an early 2012 (Berlinale 2012?), so this won’t be the last we hear from the film.   Personally, I hope someone like IFC can get this (they have the Cave rights) and actually bring the film into the Criterion Collection, as Herzog is a name that is desperately missing from the Collection.   If Cave can’t make it, then here’s to hoping this one can.

Source: Variety

Joshua Brunsting

Josh is a critic, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, a wrestling nerd, a hip-hop head, a father, a cinephile and a man looking to make his stamp on the world, one word at a time.