Ghost Elephants

"An epic search for a mythical giant."

2026 1h 39m EN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

🔥

98%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★7.6TMDB · 66🍅98%Rotten Tomatoes●79Metacritic★7IMDB · 1,861

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In Angola's mist-shrouded highlands, three KhoiSan master trackers embark on a spiritual quest to rediscover the legendary "ghost elephants" of Lisima, creatures presumed lost but remembered in ancestral trance, ritual, and memory.

“An epic search for a mythical giant.”

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Cast

Werner Herzog
Self - Narrator (voice)
Steve Boyes
Self
Kerllen Costa
Self - Environmental Anthropologist
Xui
Self
Xui Dawid
Self
Kobus
Self
Gary Trower
Self - Anthropologist, San Culture Specialist
Jordana Meyer
Self - Molecular Ecologist, Stanford University

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Werner Herzog
Writers: Werner Herzog, Werner Herzog
Languages: English, Portuguese
Countries: United States of America, Namibia, Angola

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United States of America, Namibia, Angola.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Werner Herzog, shot by Rafael Leyva. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ernst Reijseger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marco Capalbo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Werner Herzog and Steve Boyes and Kerllen Costa carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An epic search for a mythical giant.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Werner Herzog directs. Rafael Leyva behind the camera. Ernst Reijseger scores. Marco Capalbo cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America, Namibia, Angola. Dialogue in English, Portuguese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.
3International production across 3 countries: United States of America, Namibia, Angola.
4Directed by Werner Herzog, shot by Rafael Leyva. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ernst Reijseger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Marco Capalbo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Werner Herzog and Steve Boyes and Kerllen Costa carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "An epic search for a mythical giant.".
9IMDB entry: tt35237771 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 66 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 12 themes, including "elephant", "human animal relationship", "spiritual journey", "spiritual quest".