Letzte Worte (1968)

The story of a solitary man who refuses to leave a Greek island (at one time a leper colony) is told by a strange variety of characters who don't have much to say except to repeat their ... See full summary »

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog

Stars:

Lefteris Daskalakis, Antonis Papadakis

Cast

Credited cast:
Lefteris Daskalakis
Antonis Papadakis

Storyline

The story of a solitary man who refuses to leave a Greek island (at one time a leper colony) is told by a strange variety of characters who don't have much to say except to repeat their tellings over and over again. But the person who has the final word on the matter, the lonely character himself, may not explain anything about his personal reasons for not abandoning the place.

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Plot Keywords:

new german cinema | 

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Genres:

Short

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

Greek German

Release Date:

26 November 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Last Words

Filming Locations:

Spinalonga Island, Crete, Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

13 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is a short fiction film, that only appears like a (absurd) documentary. The whole story of the film was invented by director Werner Herzog: "The film you mentioned, Letzte Worte (1968), is a film that was done - much of it - during nighttime, while during day I was shooting Lebenszeichen (1968). And it was about a man who was a musician and I invented a story that he forcefully had to be removed as the last remaining occupant of a small island which was occupied by lepers. And what is so strange about the film: Everybody who tells his story tells it immediately again and then immediately again. So it's a very, an extremely bold way to narrate a story. And I of course completely and utterly invented [it] and loved the kind of music, how they played it..." [Onassis Cultural Center New York, 16 June 2015, transcript and video online]

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Connections

Referenced in Was ich bin sind meine Filme - Teil 2... nach 30 Jahren (2010)

User Reviews

And his famous last words were...

'Last Words' is Herzog's short film which he made during filming his first feature 'Signs of Life'. It is a story about solitary man who was forced to leave from small island where he had remain as sole occupant. Filmed like documentary the story is told through witnesses who don't have much to say, but repeating their only lines. It is a sad story that is told through absurd and peculiar humor in a way only Werner Herzog could manage. Funny, but sad. Few words, but much is said. Minimalistic, but interestingly touching.