''How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck'' (German: ''Beobachtungen zu einer neuen Sprache'', literally "Observations of a New Language") is a 1976

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

director

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...

, produced by

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...

. It is a 44-minute film documenting the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship held in

New Holland, Pennsylvania New Holland (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Seischwamm'') is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,762, up from 5,378 in the 2010 census. History New Holland was settled in 1728 by brothers John Michae ...

. The film also contains a section about the

Amish The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...

and shows Amish speaking

Pennsylvania German The Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spea ...

. Herzog has said that he believes auctioneering to be "the last poetry possible, the poetry of capitalism." Herzog describes the auctioneering as an "extreme language ... frightening but quite beautiful at the same time." Herzog used two of the featured auctioneers Ralph Wade and Scott McKain as actors in his later film ''

Stroszek ''Stroszek'' is a 1977 German tragicomedy film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Bruno S., Eva Mattes, and Clemens Scheitz. Written specifically for Bruno S., the film was shot in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. Most of the lead ...

''.

Cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

Edward Lachman Edward Lachman (born March 31, 1948) is an American cinematographer and director. Lachman is mostly associated with the American independent film movement, and has served as director of photography on films by Todd Haynes (including '' Far from ...

got his start working with Herzog on this film; he would work on '' La Soufrière'' (1977) shortly after.

References

External links

* * 1976 films 1976 documentary films German documentary films West German films Documentary films about words and language Films shot in Pennsylvania Auction chant Amish in films Documentary films about Pennsylvania Films directed by Werner Herzog 1970s German films {{germanic-lang-stub