Coppola Celebrates Legendary Director Werner Herzog at Venice Film Fest

The 2025 Venice Film Festival kicked off with a poignant moment as American film legend Francis Ford Coppola took the stage to present German director Werner Herzog with the prestigious Golden Lion lifetime achievement award. Coppola, himself a Golden Lion honoree from 1992, adoringly walked hand-in-hand with Herzog down the red carpet to the opening night ceremony.

In his speech, Coppola celebrated Herzog's gloriously eccentric filmography, spanning classics like Fitzcarraldo, Grizzly Man, and Aguirre, the Wrath of God. "If Werner has limits, I don't know what they are," Coppola said. "Werner's life and his very existence send a challenge to everyone out there: top me if you can! And all of us truly wonder if anyone ever will."

Herzog, in turn, expressed deep gratitude for Coppola's generosity and friendship over the decades. He recalled how Coppola had hosted him and allowed him to write the screenplay for Fitzcarraldo when he couldn't afford a hotel. The two directors also came close to collaborating on a film about the Aztec conquest of Mexico, though the project never materialized.

Speaking about his approach to cinema, Herzog said he has always strived to explore "a deep form of poetry" and search for "truth in unusual ways." He sees himself as a "good soldier of cinema," driven by perseverance, loyalty, courage, and a sense of duty.