Aside from this being a powerful and moving biography, the documentary Little Dieter Needs To Fly is a fascinating look at survival psychology. From the DVD:

As a young boy, Dieter Dengler watched as Allied places destroyed his village; from that instant, he knew he wanted to fly. At 18, he moved to America, enlisted in the Navy and was promptly shipped to Vietnam. During one of his first missions, however, Dengler was shot down over Laos and taken prisoner; although he escaped and returned home, the experience still haunts him. Werner Herzog directs this affecting documentary.

The majority of the film consists of footage of a trip to SE Asia where Dengler recreates his journey as a prisoner through the jungles of SE Asia, as a prisoner of war, and his escape and flight through the jungle. Along the way he describes his experiences to the camera.

For those interested in the psychology of survival this film should be at the top of your list.