Fireball: Besuch aus fernen Welten

Whenever I hear Werner Herzog, it’s like someone flicks a switch in my brain—I crank the volume up and get lost in his mesmerizing voice and signature lack of outward enthusiasm, even though you know he’s fully invested in every project he touches. Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds is no exception. Once again, Herzog gives it his all, diving deep into the mysteries of meteorites. Surprisingly though, he skips over the Ries Crater in his native Bavaria, where a meteorite once hit, creating moldavites that people in Southern Bohemia still hunt for today. But instead, we get a visit to an observatory where two dedicated scientists scan the skies every single night, keeping an eye out for anything potentially harmful headed our way. There’s also a jazz virtuoso in Oslo using a magnet on the roof of a sports hall to track down cosmic dust—that guy was fascinating. The film is full of quirky, passionate individuals like this, and I could listen to them talk all day. And, of course, the ending is the perfect Herzog-style cherry on top of a solid and intriguing documentary. (26.02.2021)