Perseverance has kept me going over the years. Things rarely happen overnight. Filmmakers should be prepared for many years of hard work. The sheer toil can be healthy and exhilarating.
Martin Luther was asked, what would you do if tomorrow the world would come to an end, and he said, 'I would plant an apple tree today.' This is a real good answer. I would start shooting a movie.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Even in the face of impending doom, we should focus on positive actions that contribute to the future.
This quote emphasizes the importance of living in the present and taking constructive actions, even when faced with uncertainty or despair. Martin Luther's response illustrates a commitment to hope and continuity, suggesting that we can still contribute to the future by making meaningful choices today, such as planting a tree. Werner Herzog adds a personal touch by sharing his own intention to create art through filmmaking, highlighting the transformative power of creativity in challenging times.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote at a motivational seminar to inspire action in the face of challenges.
More from Werner Herzog
All quotes →Hold firm to your vision but don't be a tyrant on set.
For a moment the feeling crept over me that my work, my vision, is going to destroy me, and for a fleeting moment I let myself take a long, hard look at myself, something I would not otherwise do--out of instinct, on principle, out of self-preservation--look at myself with objective curiosity to see whether my vision has not destroyed me already. I found it comforting to note that I was still breathing.
Very often, footage that you have shot develops its own dynamic, it's own life, that is totally unexpected, and moves away from you're original intentions. And you have to acknowledge, yes, there is a child growing and developing and moving in a direction that isn't expected-accept it as it is and let it develop its own life.
Without dreams we would be cows in a field, and I don't want to live like that. I live my life or I end my life with this project.
Coincidences always happen if you keep your mind open, while storyboards remain the instruments of cowards who do not trust in their own imagination and who are slaves of a matrix If you get used to planning your shots based solely on aesthetics, you are never that far from kitsch.
Similar quotes
I learned what every dreaming child needs to know, that no horizon is so far you cannot get above it or beyond it.
Gotta kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight.
Dreams are hopes, and echoes of hope.
I even move out onto the front porch and see my own limited view of the world. I want to take that world, and for the first time ever, I feel like I can do it. I’ve survived everything I’ve had to so far. I’m still standing here.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
We see the brightness of a new page where everything yet can happen.