The Ship Must Go Up

In 1982, Werner Herzog ventured deep into the Amazon rainforest. He was determined to make his film "Fitzcarraldo." The story was ambitious. It required moving a 320-ton steamship over a steep hill between two rivers - a feat that Herzog insisted on filming for real, without special effects. He would not compromise. What followed was perhaps one of the most challenging film productions in history.

Everything that could go wrong did. The original lead actor, Jason Robards, fell ill with dysentery after 40% of filming was complete and had to be replaced. The replacement, Klaus Kinski, was notoriously difficult to work with. He often had violent outbursts on set. Local tribes threatened the production, and several crew members were seriously injured. The first ship they used got damaged, and they had to start over with a new one.

Most directors would have given up or opted for special effects. And who would blame them? But Herzog saw something different in these setbacks. Each obstacle became a lesson in persistence, each failure a step toward a vision that defied reason.