About

Directed for German television in 1974 by the legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, this oneiric documentary follows world champion ski-jumper Walter Steiner across Germany, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia in his quest for the world record in ski jumping – an activity at which he was so skilled, he believed himself to be engaged in ‘ski flying’.

Equal parts psychological study and poetic visual essay – and considered by the director to number among his key works – the film examines the philosophy of a man whose dream of flight has carried him to the pinnacle of his sport. Captured with breathtaking slow-motion cinematography and set to a haunting musical score by ambient krautrock collective Popol Vuh, The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner is an unforgettable ascent into the realm where professional sport meets high aesthetics.

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner will screen from an imported 16mm print.