Little Dieter Needs to Fly

1997 documentary about Dieter Dengler. He grew up in an area of Germany so remote that he'd never seen an airplane until an American jet came roaring through his village guns and bombs a-blazin during the latter years of WWII. The experience blew his mind and he spent the next years trying to become an American fighter pilot. Years later he achieved this goal and on his first mission in Vietnam he was shot down over Laos and captured. For weeks he was tortured and starved all while chained to the bottom of a bamboo structure. He then led a revolt and he and the other prisoners escaped after killing nearly all the other people at the camp. He then spent three weeks wandering in the jungle until he was discovered. This film is done by Werner Herzog, a German feature filmmaker who is famous for taking big risks and working hard to create real emotions. He takes that attitude and puts it into this documentary having Dieter literally walk through his experiences. The start in Laos and end up in Thailand and literally retrace his steps. The movie is really not about Dieter at all but about humanity. And boy is Dieter full of human spirit. While it may sound like a depressing movie, I say without hesitation that it's really one of the most uplifting movies I've seen in a long time. Dieter exudes an appreciation for and love of life that is so rare. He harbors no hate or resentment. He kept flying as soon as he got back and didn't stop. If you want a movie that tells an interesting story and will lift your heart and give you some much needed perspective, this is the movie for you. (and while you're at it, check out some of Herzog's other movies like Grizzly Man and Fitzcarraldo).

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