Herzog Takes Mara Sisters to Venice Competition — SkimNews
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- Bucking Fastard stars real-life sisters Kate and Rooney Mara as nearly identical twins who share dreams and a love interest played by Orlando Bloom.
- Bucking Fastard was shot in February 2025 in Ireland and a Slovenian tourist cave, earning a standing ovation at its Venice world premiere before playing Telluride and heading to Toronto and New York.
- Cannes Film Festival offered the film only an out-of-competition berth, but Herzog declined so the Mara sisters could compete before Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Venice jury.
- Mara sisters found their unusual synchronicity through a childhood song: they sang and hummed it together after conventional breathing exercises failed to coordinate them.
- Werner Herzog, who turned 84 while promoting the film, says he is close to finishing another movie and is preparing a Taschen book featuring photos from roughly 80 films.
- David Lynch was unable to see the film before his death despite Herzog wanting him to be the first, and Herzog says the dedication reflects their mutual respect rather than a hidden homage.
- About a Hero drew Herzog’s condemnation as a standardized AI-generated failure, although he said he welcomes AI replacing creators who merely repeat established work.
Why it matters: The two Mara sisters are the pivotal stakeholders: Herzog rejected Cannes’ out-of-competition offer so both would be in a position to compete at Venice, where the film is now in contention before Maggie Gyllenhaal’s jury. The film remains in search of North American distribution.
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