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Little Dieter Needs to Fly streaming

1997 Movie Germany Drama, Documentary, Biography 76 min
By: Werner Herzog With: Eugene Deatrick, Werner Herzog, Dieter Dengler

In 1966, Dieter Dengler was shot down over Laos, captured, and, down to 85 pounds, escaped. Barefoot, surviving monsoons, leeches, and machete-wielding villagers, he was rescued. Now, near 60, living on Mt. Tamalpais, Dengler tells his story: a German lad surviving Allied bombings in World War II, postwar poverty, apprenticed to a smith, beaten regularly. At 18, he emigrates and peels potatoes in the U.S. Air Force. He leaves for California and college, then enlistment in the Navy to learn to fly. A quiet man of sorrows tells his story: war, capture, harrowing conditions, escape, and miraculous rescue. Where did he find the strength; how does he now live with his memories?

Filmium rating
80%

Festival Achievements

Visions du Réel 2019
Selections:
Maître du Réel Werner Herzog
International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam 1997
Selections:
IDFA Archive

Mood

Heroic
Inspirational
Reflective

Cast & Crew

Werner Herzog
Eugene Deatrick
Dieter Dengler
Dieter Dengler (Himself)
Eugene Deatrick (Himself)
Werner Herzog (Narrator)

Adaptation

Based On True Story
Biographical

Budget

Independent Film
Low-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Interview Footage
Recreation Scenes
Voice-Over Narration

Narrative Structure

Biographical
Reconstruction
Retrospective

Pace

Episodic Structure
Moderate Pace

Runtime

Documentary Length

Soundtrack

Ambient Sounds
Narration

Style

Archival Footage
Documentary
Realistic

Time-Period

1990S
Vietnam War Era

Central Conflict

Capture And Imprisonment
Escape From Captivity

Characters

Captors
Dieter Dengler
Prisoners Of War

Ending

Memorial Footage
Reconciliation

Historical Context

Cold War Era
Vietnam War

Key Plot Points

Escape Attempt
Prisoner Of War
Reconstruction Trip
Shot Down Over Laos

Plot

Escape
Laos
Prisoner Of War
Vietnam War

Setting

Laos
Thailand
Vietnam War Battlegrounds

Shooting Location

Laos
Thailand
Vietnam

Theme

Resilience
Survival
War Trauma

Genre

Biographical
Documentary
War

Audiences

Adults
History Enthusiasts
War Film Viewers

Titles

Little Dieter Needs To Fly

Awards

Golden Spire
Ida Award
Special Jury Award

Festivals

Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival

Reception

Awards
Critical Acclaim

Production Countries

Britain
France
Germany

Release Year

1997
mowizz ID: a4f34e36-31cf-4942-9e72-9c87032fbc1c
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