Director Werner Herzog discusses Les Blank’s film Burden of Dreams, with fellow Director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the value he saw in Blank documenting the making of Fitzcarraldo, shares further insight into aspects of the shoot the documentary didn’t cover, and reflects on his memories of the late Actor Claudia Cardinale.

Screened as part of the DGA’s Documentary Series, the film follows Director Werner Herzog during the filming of Fitzcarraldo, the story of one man’s attempt to build an opera house deep in the Amazonian jungle. As the production unfolds, the crew has to overcome a number of setbacks, including difficult Actors, unpredictable weather and the logistics of getting a boat over a mountain, all with the determination of realizing Herzog’s vision.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://www.dga.org/events/2025/november2025/docseries_burdenofdreams-0925