Even Dwarfs Started Small (1970)
"Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen" (original title)

The inhabitants of an institution in a remote country rebel against their keepers. Their acts of rebellion are by turns humorous, boring and alarming. An allegory on the problematic nature ... See full summary »

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog

Stars:

Helmut Döring, Paul Glauer, Gisela Hertwig

Cast

Cast overview:
Helmut Döring	...	Hombré
Paul Glauer	...	Erzieher
Gisela Hertwig	...	Pobrecita
Hertel Minkner	...	Chicklets
Gertrud Piccini	...	Piccini
Marianne Saar	...	Theresa
Brigitte Saar	...	Cochina
Gerd Gickel	...	Pepe
Erna Gschwendtner	...	Azucar
Gerhard Maerz	...	Territory
Alfredo Piccini	...	Anselmo
Erna Smollarz	...	Schweppes
Lajos Zsarnoczay	...	Chapparo
Pepi Hermine	...	The President

Storyline

The inhabitants of an institution in a remote country rebel against their keepers. Their acts of rebellion are by turns humorous, boring and alarming. An allegory on the problematic nature of fully liberating the human spirit, as both commendable and disturbing elements of our nature come forward. The film shows how justifiable revolt may be empowering, but may also turn to chaos and depravity. The allegory is developed in part by the fact that the film is cast entirely with dwarfs.

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Plot Keywords:

chaos | dwarf | rebellion | low budget film | cruelty | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Horror

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

2 February 1971 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

A törpék is kicsin kezdték

Filming Locations:

Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Werner Herzog promised the cast he would jump into a field of cactuses if they managed to pull through the movie. Eventually, he fulfilled his promise.

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Quotes

Hombré: When we behave nobody cares. But when we are bad nobody forgets.

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Connections

Featured in I Am My Films - A Portrait of Werner Herzog (1978)

User Reviews

This is one of my favorite films ever

This film isn't just depraved and misanthropic, it's depraved and misanthropic with heart.

Despite it's grotesqueness, it depicts a fantasy of rebellion and transgression that I've loved for years. The urge to break free and destroy the confining objects and circumstances of our lives is within all of us. The potential joy of trashing and rendering inoperable our cars, the implements of our work, even our foodstuffs and houses lurks somewhere on a subconcious level, wether we are able to admit it to ourselves or not. Herzog has made an archetypal statement, very simply and unambiguously. The exhilaration of watching these laughing little people dismantle, bludgeon and set fire to their surroundings is immense

I find I have a weird empathy with the character Hombre, the small guy who happily follows the group and laughs while he watches all the destruction. He has a kind of humble nobility which is revealed at the beginning of the film when he refuses to talk to police.