Little Dieter Needs to Fly
Werner Herzog
Free admission upon registration
Little Dieter Needs to Fly tells the story of Dieter Dengler, a German-born American pilot and Vietnam War veteran. Through intimate interviews and evocative reenactments, Werner Herzog explores Dengler’s longing for freedom, shaped by his childhood in Germany during World War II, and his dream of flying, which led him to become a pilot for the United States Navy. The film focuses on Dengler’s harrowing experience as a prisoner of war in Laos, from which he managed to escape after an odyssey through the jungle. Herzog accompanies Dengler to the locations of his imprisonment, crafting a human narrative that weaves together memory and resilience. Herzog transforms Dengler’s personal story into a universal reflection on courage, sacrifice, and the unrelenting desire for freedom.
The screening is part of the program Werner Herzog and the four natural elements, which accompanies the exhibition Il Nostro Tempo, CinéFondationCartier.