"I am profoundly thrilled to be awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the Venice Biennale. I've always tried to be a good cinematic soldier, and I consider this a medal for my efforts. Thank you. However, I haven't yet retired. I work as usual. I recently finished a documentary in Africa called Ghost Elephants, and I'm currently shooting my next feature film, Bucking Fastard, in Ireland. I'm working on an animated film based on my novel The Twilight World, and I'll be voicing a character in Bong Joon-ho's upcoming animated picture. I'm not done yet". Werner Herzog used these words to comment on the Venice Film Festival's decision to give him the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2025 edition (which will take place from August 27 to September 6). Artistic director Alberto Barbera elucidated the award as follows: "Werner Herzog, a physical filmmaker and tireless walker, relentlessly traverses the Earth in pursuit of images that have never been seen before. He challenges us to comprehend what lies beyond the appearance of reality, testing our ability to see, and probing the limits of film representation in the inexhaustible pursuit of a higher truth, ecstatic, and unprecedented sensory experiences".