The acclaimed German documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog directed the 2005 documentary "Grizzly Man" about amateur filmmaker Timothy Treadwell, who lived among grizzly bears in Alaska for 13 summers before being killed by one. Herzog appreciates Treadwell's work as a filmmaker in a number of ways, despite not necessarily agreeing with Treadwell's approach to wildlife.
Herzog appreciated Treadwell's work for his enthusiasm for the natural world and wildlife. Herzog was impressed by Treadwell's dedication to documenting the behavior of bears over a long period of time and his ability to capture stunning footage of bears in their natural habitat, despite the fact that Treadwell had no formal training in filmmaking.
Herzog appreciated Treadwell's willingness to take risks and push the boundaries in order to capture compelling footage as another aspect of his work. Herzog acknowledges that Treadwell frequently got very close to the bears and even touched them, which was both dangerous and controversial. Nevertheless, this also resulted in some of the most intimate and captivating bear footage ever captured on camera.
Last but not least, Herzog valued Treadwell's willingness to risk everything for his work. Treadwell was aware that his work was risky and that he was taking chances, but he thought it was worth it to get exclusive footage of bears in the wild. Herzog acknowledges Treadwell's courage and dedication to his work as a filmmaker, even though he ultimately disagrees with Treadwell's approach.