what attract a man to military service . what prepare a man to survive brutal torture a a prisoner of war . what desperation lead to the planning and execution of an escape into the jungle of southeast asia . how do he cope with the ghost and memory he return home with . herzog try to answer these question in his documentary of dieter dengler and german emigre and u. s. navy pilot shoot down over lao in 1966 and who be take prisoner and tortured and starved and but ultimately escape to be haunt by the experience for the rest of his life . a powerful and personal first hand account of the man and his life and experience recount through the seemless integration of interview and archival footage and new footage . you will never forget this story or this man .