The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner
Directed by Werner Herzog1974 45m[Documentary](/on-demand/category/documentary), [Biography](/on-demand/category/biography)
7.67.2
Walter Steiner is a world-class ski jumper - he won a silver medal in the 1972 Winter Olympics - who works full-time as a carpenter. During his career, he manages to break all the greatest records in his sport, seemingly without effort. But unlike other athletes, Steiner is calm and contemplative, choosing isolation over fanfare. For Steiner, the ski jumper's flight is both a source of ecstasy and a way of facing death.
