6.9/10
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22 user 35 critic

Fata Morgana (1971)

Not Rated | | Documentary , Comedy , Drama | 1 February 1972 (West Germany)
Fata Morgana Poster
Footage shot in and around the Sahara Desert, accompanied only by a spoken creation myth and the songs of Leonard Cohen.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog (original screenplay)

Stars:

Lotte Eisner, Eugen Des Montagnes, James William Gledhill | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Credited cast:
Lotte Eisner Lotte Eisner ... Narrator (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eugen Des Montagnes Eugen Des Montagnes
James William Gledhill James William Gledhill
Wolfgang von Ungern-Sternberg Wolfgang von Ungern-Sternberg
See full cast »
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Storyline

Footage shot in and around the Sahara Desert, accompanied only by a spoken creation myth and the songs of Leonard Cohen.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

desert | voice over | three parts | experimental film | sahara desert | See All (14) »

Genres:

Documentary | Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

1 February 1972 (West Germany) See more »

Also Known As:

Фата Моргана See more »

Filming Locations:

Sahara Desert, Africa See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

[All trivia items for this title are spoilers.] See more »

Connections

Featured in Bis ans Ende... und dann noch weiter. Die ekstatische Welt des Filmemachers Werner Herzog (1989) See more »

Soundtracks

Sea of Joy
Written and Performed by Blind Faith
See more »

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User Reviews

 
The Viewer as Collaborator
10 December 2005 | by nienhuis – See all my reviews

You will be able to tell within the first 30 seconds of this film whether you want to finish watching it. The film opens with images of planes landing at an airport, one plane after another diving into a mirage-filled runway. You will be able to accurately guess that this movie is not about a "story." At first viewing, it's even easy to think the opening images are repetitive shots of the same plane. The initial drama is in the acuteness of your perception, which is built on your willingness to experience the film simply as a series of images. If after this opening, you want to see the movie, you will not be bored. You may even be mesmerized. The movie may be an emotional experience; it may be an intellectual experience; it may be both. Judging from the DVD commentary, which is essential, it was primarily an emotional experience for Herzog, and, at one point, he talks explicitly about how the film is a collaboration between filmmaker and viewer. There's plenty of room for the viewer to make of this film exactly what he or she wants to make of it. Take a gamble?
21 of 22 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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