My Best Fiend

May 17, 1999

1h 35m

★ 7.3

Overview

A film that describes the love-hate relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, the deep trust between the director and the actor, and their independently and simultaneously hatched plans to murder one another.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Café Productions

Zephir Film

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

My Best Fiend Trailers

Cast

Self

Werner Herzog

Self (archive footage)

Klaus Kinski

Self

Claudia Cardinale

Self

Eva Mattes

Self

Baron van der Recke

Self

José Koechlin von Stein

Self

Bill Pence

Self

Baronin van der Recke

Self (archive footage)

Beat Presser

Self (archive footage)

Guillermo Ríos

Self (archive footage)

Andrés Vicente

Self (also archive footage)

Justo González

When World War II broke out, John Ford, in his forties, commissioned in the Naval Reserve, was put in charge of the Field Photographic Unit by Bill Donavan, director of the soon-to-be-OSS. During the war, Field Photo made at least 87 documentaries, many with Ford's signature attention to heroism and loss, and many from the point of view of the fighting soldier and sailor. Talking heads discuss Ford's life and personality, the ways that the war gave him fulfillment, and the ways that his war films embodied the same values and conflicts that his Hollywood films did. Among the films profiled are "Battle of Midway," "Torpedo Squadron," "Sexual Hygiene," and "December 7."

7.0

Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Director

Dec 8, 2017

Portrait of director Andrey Zvyagintsev against the background of the filming of his film "Loveless".

7.7

Akira Kurosawa: My Life in Cinema

Jan 1, 1993

Nagisa Oshima interviews Akira Kurosawa, leading him to share his thoughts about filmmaking, his life and works, and numerous anecdotes relating to his films and his various film activities.

7.0

39/45 : Amours interdites

May 26, 2020

No overview available.

6.4

King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen

Jul 7, 2018

A feature-length documentary focusing on the acclaimed work and eclectic career of maverick filmmaker Larry Cohen, writer-director of "Black Caesar," "It's Alive," "God Told Me To," "Q," "The Stuff," and many more.

7.7

Paul Newman: The Restless

Jun 11, 2023

Multi-talented, Paul Newman is one of the greatest American actors of all time. With his silhouette of a Greek statue and his unreal blue eyes, he embodied the quintessential Hollywood star. But he never seemed satisfied. The son of a Jewish sporting goods retailer who despises him and a Catholic mother who adores him, driven by self-doubt and an inherited need for approval from his childhood, he has worked throughout his fifty-year career to break the image of the pretty boy. He made his first experiences in the famous Actors Studio. The breakthrough as a screen star came in 1958 with "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". From then on he preferred characters on the edge of the American dream. With archive images and film excerpts, the documentary paints a portrait of a socio-politically committed man with many facets and also pays tribute to the role of his wife Joanne Woodward.

7.0

Bruce Willis : Super Anti-Héros

May 23, 2025

No overview available.

5.8

The Dinosaur

Mar 10, 2021

Acclaimed Finnish director Rauni Mollberg made several scandalous yet widely appreciated films. Former co-worker Veikko Aaltonen’s eye-opening documentary The Dinosaur looks at the relentless, often disturbing directing techniques behind Mollberg’s art and success.

7.2

It’s a Mad Max World

Jun 22, 2025

Emerging from the depths of the film industry, the Mad Max saga became an instant cult classic after the release of the first film in 1979. These five critically acclaimed films have continued to captivate audiences. They shaped the identity of Australian cinema, launched a movie star – Mel Gibson – and propelled George Miller as one of the greatest directors of his generation. Above all, Mad Max has left an indelible mark on our collective unconscious, redefining our vision of the apocalypse and human civilization. This documentary tells the story of this phenomenon, from the small production of the first film to the monumental later installments, drawing on interviews and rare archives.

5.7

La rosa dei nomi

Jan 1, 1987

No overview available.

6.7

Oliver Stone: El outsider

Jun 1, 2025

No overview available.

8.0

Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli

Aug 2, 2024

Highlights Rajamouli’s influence on Indian and international cinema, with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

5.6

Room 999

Oct 5, 2023

In 1982, Wim Wenders asked 16 of his fellow directors to speak on the future of cinema, resulting in the film Room 666. Now, 40 years later, in Cannes, director Lubna Playoust asks Wim Wenders himself and a new generation of filmmakers (James Gray, Rebecca Zlotowski, Claire Denis, Olivier Assayas, Nadav Lapid, Asghar Farhadi, Alice Rohrwacher and more) the same question: “is cinema a language about to get lost, an art about to die?”

0.0

Unwilling Sex

Mar 6, 2018

They gave in. Or capitulated. They didn't want to have sex. They couldn't push back, to make them understand that no, they didn't want to. Some consider it part of the unpleasant yet inevitable experiences of youth. Others don't. For the first time, a film addresses this "gray" area of sexuality without consent.

8.0

Allianz gegen China

Jun 19, 2025

While global attention focuses on Ukraine, the Middle East, and Trump’s trade policies, the situation in East Asia is shifting rapidly. Former wartime enemies Japan and South Korea are drawing closer and aligning themselves with Taiwan. An emerging alliance is forming—one that, together with the U.S., positions itself against China. But does this strengthen peace, or turn East Asia into a powder keg?

0.0

Filming Under Pressure

Feb 1, 1991

A doc made during the nightmarish filming of The Suspended Step of the Stork at Florina.

0.0

On Cukor

Nov 22, 2000

Widely thought of as “a woman’s director,” legendary film director George Cukor is profiled with the use of film clips and interviews with his friends and colleagues to provide a picture of the director’s unique accomplishments and to trace the arc of his career.

10.0

Le Nom de la Rose : Le Documentaire

Jun 16, 2004

A documentary on the genesis, writing, shooting and analysis of the film "The Name of the Rose".

6.5

"I Will Revenge This World With Love" - S. Paradjanov

Aug 28, 2024

The author of the film decides to leave the country where she lives, in connection with the outbreak of the dramatic events, and return home to Armenia in search of a worthy example and solutions on how to live on. Paradjanov's house becomes a place of inspiration and a point of no return to toxic reality.