Coming to Apple TV+ this Friday, November 13:
FIREBALL: VISITORS FROM DARKER WORLDS
Director:
Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer
World Premiere:
Toronto 2020
Select Festivals:
Rome, AFI Fest, Hamptons, Montclair, Chicago
About:
An exploration of meteors and their impact – literal and figurative – on society.
Meteors have long been viewed as portents of extreme significance, making them a natural fit for Werner Herzog’s singular philosophical inquiries. In his latest film, co-directed with and starring his previous collaborator, volcanologist and University of Cambridge professor Clive Oppenheimer, the Bavarian auteur travels the globe – from Mexico to Mecca, Australia to Antarctica – to explore the scientific and spiritual sides of these astronomical phenomena. While Herzog stays offscreen, his memorable narration shines as always, and he leaves the on-air antics to Oppenheimer, a personable academic who mirrors the enthusiasm of his various interview subjects, from a papal astronomer and planetary defense researchers to Antarctic asteroid hunters and quasicrystal experts. While the film’s survey structure leads to a more cursory approach, its topics remain engaging and enjoyable.
what (not) to doc 