Toronto Film Festival Dailies

INTO THE INFERNO

A film by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer

Directed, Written and Narrated by Werner Herzog 

Werner Herzog's Decades-in-the-Making, Astonishing Look at Volcanoes and the People Who Surround them, 
Plays at the Toronto International Film Festival,
Launches on Netflix on October 28 

"AWE INSPIRING. Every Werner Herzog documentary is ultimately about the same two self-contradictory things: the impermanence of human existence and the myth of Werner Herzog. Hypnotic, hilarious and deeply humbling, INTO THE INFERNO offers a staggering amount of insight into both subjects." - David Ehrlich, Indiewire

"A SPECTACULAR DOC. As fascinating to watch as it is enjoyable, with incredible footage and thought-provoking conversations. Herzog once again shows how to open our minds to the grandiosity of the universe while appreciating this wonderful planet we all live on." - Alex Billington, First Showing

"Takes the camera as far as it can get to the magma filled volcanoes and aerial views are often breathtaking...but Herzog and Oppenheimer are equally interested in exploring the cultural impact of volcanoes around the world, and that impact is significant. Coalesces into a truly cinematic experience - one that would be hard for anyone else to even fathom attempting to duplicate." - Greg Ellwood, The Playlist

Netflix is proud to present the latest film by Werner Herzog, INTO THE INFERNO - which heads just where its title suggests: into the red-hot magma-filled craters of some of the world's most active and astonishing volcanoes-taking the filmmaker on one of the most extreme tours of his long career. From North Korea to Ethiopia to Iceland to the Vanuatu Archipelago, humans have created narratives to make sense of volcanoes; as stated by Herzog, "volcanoes could not care less what we are doing up here." 

Into the Inferno teams Herzog with esteemed volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer to offer not only an in-depth exploration of volcanoes across the globe but also an examination of the belief systems that human beings have created around the fiery phenomena. After premiering to acclaim at Telluride last week, the film will next play at the Toronto Film Festival, and will open in theaters as well as launch on the Netflix system on October 28. 

Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer will be at the Toronto Film Festival from Tuesday, 9/13-Thursday, 9/15 and available for interviews. There will be further interview opportunities in both New York and Los Angeles closer to the film's launch. For more information, contact Charlie Olsky, charlie@cineticmedia.com

Herzog and Oppenheimer first met ten years ago on the slopes of the Mount Erebus volcano in Antarctica during the filming of Encounters at the End of the World. Their newest film never stops moving, never stops seeking. We see Oppenheimer in Indonesia at Lake Toba, which 74,000 years ago was the site of one of the most massive eruptions known to man. Oppenheimer and Herzog travel to Mount Sinabung, where they narrowly escape a deadly eruption, and then visit Mount Merapi on Java, one of Indonesia's most sacred volcanoes. They travel to the hottest desert on earth in Ethiopia, to Iceland, and perhaps most amazingly to the center of North Korea. Throughout, they investigate the wildly imaginative and wildly diverse stories that people have told about the presence and meaning of volcanoes. There is Mount Paektu in North Korea, for example, venerated by the current regime as a birthplace of the Korean nation and the revolution. There is the Codex Regius, Iceland's most precious possession, an ancient text that tells of a tenth-century volcanic eruption. Into the Inferno is vintage Herzog, offering extraordinary locales, outré characters, improbable stories and, through it all, a chance to go deep inside a mesmerizing subject and emerge with new understanding.

TIFF FESTIVAL SCREENINGS

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 12:15PM- Scotiabank 4 (P&I)

Tuesday, Sept. 13,  6:15PM - Scotiabank 1

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6:15PM - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

Thursday, Sept. 15, 6:30PM - Scotiabank 10 (P&I)

Sunday, Sept. 18, 12:15PM - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

For images and press notes, visit: INTO THE INFERNO

Please contact Charlie Olsky for further media inquiries.

107 min. // USA/UK/Australia // Netflix