TTLV: Werner Herzog's travel documentaries: an approach from the perspective of cultural anthropology

1. Student's full name: Tran Thi Kim Dinh 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: 01/07/1980

4. Place of birth: Hai Phong

5. Decision on recognition of graduate students No. 3379/2017/QD-XHNV, dated December 19, 2017 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in training process: no

7. Title of graduation thesis: "Werner Herzog's travel documentary:approach from cultural anthropology perspective”

8. Major: Historical Theory and Criticism of Film and Television.

Code: 60210231

9. Scientific advisor: Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Gia Lam - Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

10. Summary of thesis results:

Through survey and analysis of 09 films:Fata Morgana(1971),Herdsmen of the Sun(1989),Lessons of darkness(1992),Grizzly Man(2005),Encounters at the End of the World(2007),Happy People: A Year in the Taiga(2010),Wheel of Time(2003),Cave of Forgotten Dreams(2010),Into the Inferno(2016) by director Werner Herzog from the perspective of cultural anthropology, the thesis achieved the following results:

1. Identify the most common characteristics in the style of W.Herzog - a famous documentary filmmaker not only in Germany but also in the world. His films are often set in special, unusual, mysterious landscapes, containing profound artistic philosophies, full of humanity. Since the release of his first filmSigns of Life(1967), W.Herzog has more than 60 films, including 38 documentaries. The main thing in his documentaries is to search for the true meaning of things, the noblest part of the human soul. In turn, he always searches and uses art as a means of exploration. W.Herzog is not simply a filmmaker, but a conquistador of the truth.

2. W.Herzog's travel documentaries have taken audiences to polar regions, deserts, tropical forests, caves, the birthplace of religion... - geo-cultural spaces that are inherently fierce, mysterious, arid, and lacking in life. But W.Herzog has "breathed life" into them with extremely authentic, attractive, and humane stories about strange people who bravely confront nature, have religious beliefs, and always desire to live with their simple dreams. As a director considered to have the most "cultural" qualities, each of his films is an anthropological test, in which there is an organic unity between "truth and aesthetic pleasure" (Brad Prager)to convey messages about the narrowness of cultural norms and the rigidity of European thinking compared to the rest of the world.

3. W.Herzog is considered the most creative contemporary director; his documentary travelogues are characterized by surrealism, wonder, and sophistication. Although his documentaries are unified in their “ideological structure”, the “visual experience” in each film is extremely unique and diverse thanks to the improvisation in his filmmaking style, in line with his own concept: “Film is not the art of scholars but the art of the illiterate” and “Change is the soul of cinema”.

11. Practical applicability: The research results of the thesis can be used as a reference in the fields of film studies, cultural studies, cultural anthropology... on German travel documentary films in the context of European culture and art in the second half of the 20th century.

12. Further research directions:

- The influence of director Werner Herzog on documentary films in Europe in the second half of the 20th century.

- Werner Herzog's documentary filmmaking in comparison with Vietnamese documentary directors.

13. Published works related to the thesis: None.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name of student: Tran Thi Kim Dinh 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: July 1, 1980

4. Place of birth: Hai Phong

5. Admission decision number: 3379/2017/QD-XHNV Dated: December 19, 2017

6. Changes during training course: No

7. Name of the graduation thesis: Documentary film of Werner Herzog: approach from perspective on cultural anthropology.

8. Major: Argument, history and criticism of cinema and television; Code: 60210231

9. Supervisor: Associate Professor, PhD. Pham Gia Lam - Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

10. Summary of the thesis:

Surveying and analyzing 9 films:Fata Morgana(1971),Herdsmen of the Sun(1989),Lessons of darkness(1992),Grizzly Man(2005),Encounters at the End of the World(2007),Happy People:A Year in the Taiga(2010),Wheel of Time(2003),Cave of Forgotten Dreams(2010),Into the Inferno(2016) directed by Werner Herzog from the perspective on cultural anthropology, the thesis has achieved the following results:

1. Identifying the most common features in the style of W.Herzog as famous documentary filmmaker not only in Germany but also in the world. His films, set in distinct and unfamiliar landscapes, are imbued with mysticism, deep artistic philosophy and humanity. Since the release of his first filmSigns of Life(1967), W.Herzog has made 60 films including 38 documentaries. The main topics of his documentary are finding the true meaning of things and the most noble part of the human soul as well. The man, in its turn, is always seeking and using art as a means of exploration. W.Herzog is not only a film maker but also a truth conquistador.

2. W.Herzog's documentaries bring viewers to polar regions, deserts, rainforests, caves, the land of religious origin… and geocultural spaces which are fierce, mysterious, arid and uninhabitable. But W.Herzog has breathed new life into such places by his interesting, true and humanitarian stories of special people who are courageous in confronting Nature, having religious beliefs and desiring to live with their simple dreams. Every documentary of Herzog as a famous and the most "culturological" director is an anthropological experiment, combining “aesthetic ecstasy and truth” (Brad Prager) in which contains the messages of the narrowness of cultural norms and the rigid attitudes of Europeans compared to the rest of the world.

3. Herzog's films are characterized by a surreal and modified exotic quality, and he is hailed as one of the most innovative contemporary directors. Although his films have the same ideological constructions, visual experience in each film is unique and varied due to his improvisional style, in accordance with his conception: “Film is not the art of scholars, but of illiterates” and “Chance is the lifeblood of cinema”.

11. Application: The thesis can be used for reference in cinema research, cultural studies, cultural anthropology in particular, German documentary films in the context of European art and culture in the second half of the 20^thcentury as well.

12. Further research:

- The influence of Werner Herzog on European documentary in the second half of the 20th^thcentury.

- Comparison between Werner Herzog and Vietnamese directors in making documentary films.

13. Published works related to the thesis: No