Herzog's epic quest for camera shy Nessie

Herzog, widely regarded as one of the greatest film-makers alive because of his painstaking attention to detail, has become fascinated by the myth of the Loch Ness monster.

He now intends to make the definitive documentary on Nessie for cinema release around the world. Friends say he has been obsessively collecting research material in advance of his trip to the Highlands next month.

The Enigma of Loch Ness seems certain to be unlike any previous documentary on the subject. Herzog has often blurred the lines between drama and documentary, most notably in his epic Fitzcarraldo, for which he employed 500 Indians to haul a steamship up a mountain from one part of a drought-stricken Amazonian river to another, and which spawned a memorable documentary about the film’s creation. Many of his dramas have been true stories, while his documentaries have included dramatic re-enactments.

This one will be no exception. Herzog, 60, intends to investigate the origins of the legend and take to the water himself to see what he might find. He has also ordered the building of the back end of a sunken boat for one sequence, and may require extras for dramatic sequences.

In an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday, Herzog said: "It’s more than just the Loch Ness Monster. I’m just fascinated about some other Scottish things. It should also include landscapes, like the island of Skye and the Old Man of Storr. It’s not so much the so-called monster that’s important in this, it’s more the question why is it that we need a monster."

Asked what ‘angle’ he will take on Nessie, Herzog replied: "It’s too early to say. There’s something about Scottish culture and Celtic culture that plays a part in all this.

"I believe some of the megalithic monuments in Scotland are of great importance. We will be looking at prehistoric things, landscapes, real people, whom I like."

He will not, however, be doing a mock-up of the monster and says it will only appear in his film if he comes across the real thing.

"It would be wonderful if I found it and got it on film. I wouldn’t have to work in my life any more. Even better than getting it on film would be capturing it and having it as an exhibit at San Diego Sea World and charge a 50 bucks entrance fee."

Herzog has visited Scotland several times before, but not for about 10 years. He has come to Scotland in the past for tranquillity and inspiration, when writing, and first came as a teenager. "I was about 17 or 18. I ran away from school, lived in Manchester, grabbed a car and drove north. I grew up in the mountains of Bavaria. Scotland is very close. I feel at home there."

He has collected various Scottish items such as music, poetry - particularly Burns - and "landscapes that I carry in my heart".

He added: "I really love certain parts of Scotland. The area between Inverness and Ullapool is incredible, and some of the Hebrides.

"I just love these places, and best of all are the people. I’m just after real stout Scotsmen. Maybe I’m going to roam about and go to some Highland Games - even though I have no idea what the connection is with the Loch Ness Monster."

Herzog’s apparent vagueness on his subject matter makes it likely an air of mystery will surround the film until its premiere - probably some time next year.

To muddy waters further, there is going to be a second documentary shooting simultaneously. It is called Herzog in Wonderland and will be a film about Herzog making his film.

Trish Shorthouse of the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission, said: "I get the impression that some of the crew aren’t even sure what is going to happen. This is very much Herzog’s baby."

Local businesses are already looking forward to the boost to business that Herzog will bring both during and after film production.

"It’s probably one of the most important events that’s happened in the Scottish film industry for a long time as far as world-recognised names go," said Willie Cameron of Loch Ness Marketing, a locations and film facilities company involved in the project.

"The last time must have been Mel Gibson coming to make Braveheart."

The film could also lift a tourist industry struggling in the wake of recent international events. "It would certainly drum up business," said Ray Bernardi, of the Original Loch Ness Monster Exhibition Centre at Drumnadrochit. "It’s been very quiet this year, probably the worst I’ve known it."

Documentary film-makers have been in pursuit of Nessie ever since the first recorded sighting in 1932. All have failed to find proof of the monster’s existence.

Nessie even failed to bow to Hollywood, declining to put in an appearance for the 1995 film Loch Ness, starring the American actor Ted Danson and Joely Richardson, which sank without trace at the box office.

Naturalist Adrian Shine says there have been dozens of documentaries since he began work at Loch Ness in the late 1970s, with satellite and cable channels leading to an increase in recent years.

Inevitably, many end up going over the same material, "But Herzog will bring a fresh perspective to the subject," Shine said. "At least that’s what I’m hoping."

Briefing

The legend of Nessie has obsessed amateur and professional photographers and film-makers for decades. Miles of film and thousands of pictures have been taken in countless unsuccessful attempts to catch conclusive evidence of the monster in the deep, chilly waters of Loch Ness. Now the elusive creature may have met its match, in the shape of one of the world’s most celebrated film directors.