▁period ▁from ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁to ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁foot age ▁was ▁shot ▁in ▁Africa ▁with ▁little ▁notion ▁as ▁to ▁how ▁it ▁would ▁eventually ▁be ▁used . ▁A ▁concept ▁and ▁structure ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁invent ed ▁by ▁Herzog ▁only ▁after ▁film ing ▁was ▁completed . ▁Post ▁production ▁extended ▁into ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁as ▁the ▁director ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁comple ting ▁his ▁Even ▁D war fs ▁Start ed ▁Small ▁for ▁its ▁May ▁premi ere ▁at ▁the ▁C annes ▁Film ▁Festival . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁film ' s ▁foot age ▁consists ▁of ▁long ▁tracking ▁sh ots ▁fil med ▁by ▁cam er aman ▁J ör g ▁Schmidt - Re it we in ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁a ▁Volks wagen ▁cam per ▁van ▁with ▁Herzog ▁driving . ▁The ▁crew ▁smooth ed ▁out ▁the ▁road ▁themselves ▁to ▁prepare ▁the ▁sh ots . ▁ ▁Herzog ▁and ▁the ▁crew ▁encountered ▁many ▁problems ▁during ▁the ▁film ing . ▁In ▁Cam ero on ▁they ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁because ▁cam er aman ▁Schmidt - Re it we in ' s ▁name ▁was ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁a ▁German ▁mer cen ary ▁who ▁was ▁hiding ▁from ▁the ▁authorities ▁and ▁had ▁recently ▁been ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death ▁in ▁absent ia . ▁They ▁also ▁encountered ▁sand st orm s ▁and ▁flo ods . ▁Fil ming ▁eventually ▁came ▁to ▁a ▁halt ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁abandon ▁their ▁tr uck ▁and ▁all ▁equipment ▁at ▁a ▁border ▁crossing . ▁Herzog ▁said ▁of ▁the