LARB Radio Hour: Werner Herzog on Meeting Mikhail Gorbachev

Werner Herzog talks about his new documentary "Meeting Gorbachev," co-directed with André Singer.

By LARB Radio HourMay 10, 2019

Co-hosts Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf talk with filmmaker Werner Herzog about his new documentary Meeting Gorbachev, which he co-directed with André Singer. They discuss the legacy of the last Soviet leader, the era of Glasnost and Perestroika, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and how Herzog understands the history of Russia. The centerpiece of the film is a dialogue between Gorbachev and Herzog, which Gorbachev agreed to do because he recognized the great German filmmaker as more poet than journalist. Indeed, in this show, Herzog's reflections flow seamlessly across an array of subjects, from politics, culture, and history, to the resilience of the human spirit.

Also, Sally Rooney, author of Normal People, returns to recommend both The Kingdom by Emmanuel Carrère and the book that inspired it, the Gospel of Luke.