Werner Herzog is writing a book about Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who took three years to surrender after World War II.
This respected German film director’s interpretation of Onoda’s life, Twilight, will be translated by the poet Michael Hoffman, And will be published by The Bodley Head next summer.Herzog’s memoirs will be published in 2023, looking back at his life and the decades he spent in the film industry. His films include Aguirre, the wrath of God and Fitzcarardo, And documentary Grizzly man and Wangmeng Cave.
These books are Herzog’s first books in many years. His predecessor is a series of reflections on Fitzcarando’s creation, Conquering the Useless, and was first published in 2004. He learned that his mentor Lotte Eisner was dying, originally published in 1978.
Onoda is an intelligence officer of the Japanese Army He hid from the jungle of the Philippines in 1974. He refused to believe that the war was over in 1945 and regarded it as Allied propaganda. His former commander eventually persuaded him to surrender, go to his hideout and convince him that Japan was defeated nearly three years ago. Onoda moved to Brazil in 1975, became a farmer, and returned to Japan in 1984 to open a natural camp for children. He died in 2014 at the age of 91.
“[Herzog’s] The moving portrait of Onoda’s seemingly meaningless struggle provides a deep reflection on the human condition,” said Bodleian editorial director Jorg Hensgen. “Build an opera house in the jungle; walk from Munich to Paris in the harsh winter ; Descending to an active volcano; Living in the wilderness of grizzly bears-Werner Herzog has always been interested in extreme human experiences. “
Hensgen added that the director’s subsequent memoirs will be “full of unforgettable stories and bitter observations” and will “provide fascinating views on the influences and ideas that drive Herzog’s creativity and shape his unique worldview”.
