Little Dieter Needs to Fly

Werner Herzog teams up with his fellow outsider, German-American pilot Dieter Dengler, a Vietnam War veteran and POW survivor, in this unflinching documentary about one man's harrowing experiences as a prisoner of war over three decades later. The film follows Dengler's recollections of being shot down, tortured, and imprisoned in Laos, as well as his daring escape and subsequent rescue. Herzog brings his characteristic documentary style to the table, even going so far as to re-enact certain tortures with the help of local villagers, in a way that feels both visceral and deeply personal.