‘I am not that much in pursuit of happiness’: Werner Herzog on beer, yoga and what he would ask God

The pioneering German film‑maker, actor and writer answers questions from Observer readers and famous fans including John Waters, Nicole Kidman and Wim Wenders

“Can you see me? Can you hear me?” implores Werner Herzog, as we pop up in our little boxes – or don’t – at the start of our video call. I can both see and hear him without distortion: that idiosyncratic German timbre, so familiar from his 60 years of film-making, couldn’t be anyone else. But the problem is with my connection. “You’re frozen,” he sighs, with palpable anguish. “It’s very… disquieting. I see your face and wait for lip movements or some life, but there ain’t any life.”

This (one-sided) exchange is the perfect introduction to the 81-year-old Herzog, who has written and directed more than 60 films and who is, no question, one of the most pioneering documentarians of our age. He also acts, stages operas and is a gifted author. To all of these projects Herzog brings his voice, a searing intensity and a wry humour that he tends not to explicitly acknowledge, which makes it even funnier.