Eroberung des Nutzlosen

June 1979: Werner Herzog sets out to shoot "Fitzcarraldo" in the South American jungle, the story of a man, a dream, and its adventurous realization. The filming itself becomes an adventure: Werner Herzog's diary is the record of an existential experience and the ongoing conflict with his lead actor Klaus Kinski, who immerses himself deeper into his role as Fitzcarraldo. He recounts one of the most thrilling moments in German cinema. His book allows us to glimpse the "ecstatic truth" through which a film becomes a work of art for Werner Herzog. Herzog's commitment to the "conquest of the useless" is a passion. The director fights for his grand dream, and in the end, the ship being pulled over the insurmountable mountain and the operatic aria in the jungle are forever etched in cinema.