IFI CLASSIC (SCREENING EXCLUSIVELY)

In Nuremburg, 1828, a young man appeared, barely able to walk or talk, clutching a note declaring his name was Kaspar and that he had grown up entirely in isolation. He was to become something of a celebrity of his age, a controversial figure for scientists and scholars. His mysterious roots were intensely interrogated and he became a well-documented case study for psychologists and physiologists. While the Kaspar Hauser legend has been referenced frequently in film and literature, Werner Herzog’s take on the character stands as the most intriguing, arguably the master director’s most heartfelt work.

Presented here newly restored, Herzog is less curious about where this figure came from than he is with what happened when he comes into contact with a well-meaning, unshakably rational society that is convinced it knows what’s best for him. Bruno S. is remarkable as Kaspar. (Notes by Michael Hayden.)