User Reviews

Like many others I saw this film as a young child in the early 1970s, in a cinema in suburban Sydney, Australia, at the age of 7. At the time, I really wasn't sure of the origin of what I was watching. Given the South African accents, which sound a bit like Australian accents, I thought it was set in a stranger version of Australia. With African animals. Well, just the creepy African animals like hyenas, as the nicer African animals like elephants and giraffes never make an appearance. This doppelgänger Australia quality only heightened the truly, deeply disturbing nature of the film. Was it possible perhaps that we had hyenas in the Australian desert? And the Kalahari desert men did look like Aboriginals to me, as a child. I distinctly remember the scene where the rock knocks him into the pool and the water becomes bloody. Well, what child could forget that? Time went by and no one I spoke to about this film had the faintest idea what I was talking about - no one else had ever seen it, or heard of it. Which of course made it all the more perplexing. Then a few years later, around 1973, I saw my second freaky desert film. Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout. It had strange echoes of Lost in the Desert. I thought it was perhaps a remake. I could tell Walkabout was definitely set in Australia, and then I wondered if Lost in the Desert had been an Australian film after all. Or maybe it didn't actually exist. Perhaps I had dreamed a simpler version of Walkabout, before I had even seen Walkabout. Walkabout of course was every bit as disturbing as Lost in the Desert for a child. But you know what? Between Lost in the Desert, and Walkabout, I grew to love both cinema, and the desert. And I thank both film directors for creating films about children that spoke to me as a child more strongly than a dozen Disney movies.

I remember seeing this incredible film in 1977/78 in a double bill with 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger". I was three years old and yet it has remained firmly lodged in the back of my memory. The only problem was that I did not know the name of the film. I remember absolutely clearly the scene where the boy thinks the natives have cooked his dog, the boy realising that he has just eaten his only friend. I remember wailing and moaning in the cinema, traumatised by this act of impossible perversity. Finally i know the name of this film which made such a huge impression on me. i will track it down as soon as possible and I would suggest other imdb users do the same.

Dirkie is a brave endearing little boy. I was a young boy when I watched this movie and I always wanted to have his courage. WAtching the movie again reminded me again of the strength of the human spirit. What a story of how this little boy miraculously lives for weeks alone in the desert.

When I think of the film 'Dirkie' aka 'Lost in the Desert', I am immediately filled with numerous emotions; from pity for the child, to gratitude for how the film educated me, to amazement at how so few people appear to have seen it, to anger at the fact that none of my three movie books (nor any others through which i have flicked) make any reference to it! 'Dirkie' should be compulsory viewing for all children, as I am certain that, for me anyway, my life was enriched through experiencing it (and I was only five years of age)! While 'Lost in the Desert' was a mere 'support' to the main feature 'The Flight of the Doves'- mum having brought myself and my sisters to see the latter in 1970- 'Dirkie' blew us away! This masterpiece (I exaggerate not) was clearly aimed at a young audience, but having recently acquired -and viewed- a DVD copy, I have once again confirmed after 36 years, that this movie is so much more. Many of you have listed some of the profound images which have remained with you over the years, and I fully concur, but for me, Dirkie has so many more attributes; like the clever direction, timing and script, in addition to a rich soundtrack (of which we are not always consciously aware). The juxtaposition of sophisticated Chopin and images of primitive, arid desert was a move taken by an inspired director, indeed, the entire movie is inspired, with each and every scene having meaning, relevance and the ability to stir a spectrum of emotions in those who have the privilege to experience (and the intelligence to understand) it. I will be eternally grateful to the director (and his son) for the enjoyment which their creation has given me for so many years. Apart from all of the other things which this film has done for me, it succeeded in stirring primal emotions in me (a little 5 year old boy at the time) and inspiring me to dream.

Poor little Dirkie Hayes really goes through it wandering about the Kalhari in this harrowing film, the dubbed English-language version of which I saw under the title 'Lost in the Desert' on the big screen in Great Yarmouth in 1974 supporting 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'.

Actor & director Jamie Uys - who plays the soulful-eyed piano-playing father - had an international hit a few years later with 'The Gods Must Be Crazy' and was already in Leslie Halliwell's 'Filmgoer's Companion' by then on the strength of a couple of films he made in the sixties (an Afrikaans version of 'Rip van Winkle' in which he actually only played the title role, and a 1965 drama with Stanley Baker called 'Dingaka'). By 1980 amended editions of Halliwell's also included 'Lost in the Desert' in his filmography; and like many obscure films I remember from long ago it's now been resurrected by Talking Pictures.

i remember seeing this movie as a young boy more than 30 years ago, it was part of a double bill , i don't recall what the main feature was and i think that is testament to just how memorable this movie is. the images of the young boy believing he has eaten his dog , and his father dropping thousands of leaflets to try and help him, have stayed in my mind for all this time.there was also a scene where he crossed from one desert to another , made visible by the different coloured sand, also the ostrich egg scene which i vividly remember.

i really can't believe that so many people were moved by this film in the same way that i was . it amazes me that this film has never shown up on British television , or been released on video/DVD.

I saw this film as a double bill with 'The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad' back in 1974, with my father when I was growing up in Sutton Surrey. As an 8 year old it had an enduring impact on me. I then remember seeing it again in 1980 one Monday afternoon on TV - which confirms it was broadcast on British television at least once. I'm still searching for a copy on DVD which I believe is available now after all these years. It's a shame that this film of a boys survival & a fathers determination to find him has been largely forgotten now. It was powerful as a children's film, but certainly rises above a lot of the pointless movies made for children these days. I'm looking forward to finding a copy very soon. Regards

Like others I saw Lost in the Desert as a child. It was the second feature, but the main film is long forgotten. I also remember many scenes very vividly though it must be nearly 30 years since I saw them: the snake, the father dropping flyers, cooking the eggs on a rock, and the bushmen cooking the dog, or so he thinks.

As a dreamy kid who longed to escape from my life (join the club), it was an exciting and terrifying film.

By a weird coincidence I just did an interview for a radio station in Johannesburg in which I mentioned how few South African films I had had the chance to see. I had no idea until now that Lost in The Desert was South African. I would love to see it again, and show it to my nephews who are 4 and 8.

I too saw this film as a double bill with 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad' back in 1974. I remember nothing of the Sinbad film but this film stayed with me all my life. I remember being terrified that the boy and his pet dog would be killed at any minute, either by the harshness of the Kalahari Dessert or by being attacked by the Hyena that stalked them throughout the film. Some scenes in the film i.e. where the boy is stung, injured, dying of thirst and blistering in the heat and then his dog was attacked and savaged were just too much for me as a young child to handle. When the film was over I sat in shock all the way through the main feature film and have never forgotten Lost in the Dessert. I have just watched it again as an adult and I still find it a bit of a seat gripper though it is very dated. The acting and script is appalling though the little boy who plays Dirkie is outstanding and totally believable.

I have just watched this fine film on Talking Pictures, UK, a station that presents almost exclusively films of yesteryear, mainly British, but sometimes foreign. An exciting story with many incidents that had my wife and I concerned what might happen next. A 9!

I have searched for years for a reference to this film. I saw it when I was a very small girl and I have ALWAYS remembered it! I too remember the bushmen eating (or so we thought) the little boy's dog. The dog was a female and she had puppies which all died - I remember the boy putting them in his pocket - the dog's name was 'Lolly'. I also remember the boy finding the pilot's body and his father dropping leaflets all over the desert telling him that he was looking for him.

I literally sobbed and sobbed! No other film in my whole lifetime has stayed with me like this one. I can't remember the the movie - which was the main feature - that my parents had originally taken me to see, but this movie, which was on before the main feature has stayed with me and I have never forgotten it. I am 39 years old and my parents STILL laugh about how they had to tell me to stop shouting out and crying in the movie theater! The boy was eventually rescued by his Dad. Not a dry eye in the house! I am so happy to have found a reference to it, and that others remember it as I do! I would dearly love to see it again.

I watched this film as a 5 yr old and as i grew up i thought i'd dreamt it yrs ago,it had so affected me, and as an adult i tried to find it and like so many others i didn't no what it was called. so i searched for it for about a year and was so happy when found it, i was 38, so my search was finally over,i bought it from a south African shop thru the internet,it was quite good as i had to pay in rands and i had never done that before . it was on video and i couldn't wait for it to arrive, i think you can now but it on DVD,it was totally weird watching it as an adult and i loved it so much i watched it twice...back to back. i am so glad i am not the only person who was thoroughly affected by this film ... my daddy loves he'll come and find me ( that sentence still sends shivers thru me) thanks ... and it was doubled with oliver twist ...

It has now been some 40 plus almost 50 years since I have seen this movie, once seen cannot be unseen, but why would you want to unsee it great movie that will live with you forever.

I saw this beautiful movie 37 years ago, I was 12 at the time and still living in Mexico, it was still the time where you could see two or even three movies with one ticket, I happened to watch this movie along with " The Games " , I liked it also,I still remember a guy that did not like to run with shoes. I am giving Dirkie a 10 because that is how it felt to me at that young age. I am sure I would not see it or feel it the same way today if I saw it again, but the memory is still there, strong as a big beautiful scar. I am planning to buy this movie for my 9 year old hoping it has the same effect in him that it had in me. I have been trying to find this movie for a long time.

I'm amazed that this is a real movie. I was almost certain it was a child's hallucination. Or perhaps a real movie made by hippies on lsd.

I was somewhat frightened that it was an allegorical dream I was supposed to be applying to my life. I really need to watch this movie again. Do they carry it in video stores? I also thought it was Australian. Does the leading man have an oz sound to him? Also...was there a top hat or a bowler's hat or something? I won't know until I can finally see it again! We should form a club of those disturbed by Dirkie. Dirkie's kids.

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I saw this movie as a double feature with Oliver Twist (the one with Mark Lester as Oliver) and both movies have lived in my heart ever since. Lost In The Desert provided a different type of adventure than Oliver, being outdoors and with a great cast of exotic animals. Back then I was at the same age as the boy featured in the movie, I identified with him and wanted to travel far away and encounter all the perils and adventures that he did with his little dog. This is one of those great family movies almost in the tradition of the Walt Disney movies made in the 60's. A great movie overall.

As a boy of 10 I first watched this movie, but due to modern DVD technology I had another opportunity recently. Firstly, I was amazed how quickly the story became prominent, without the use of fancy computer generated scenes, as so often in movies today. A great story by a great storyteller! The only other movie that had such an enduring effect after wards is Steven Spielberg's classic Duel (1971). Having been privileged to visit the Namib many years later just reinforced the harshness of the desert as we flew over the miles of red sand. This is a classic and deserve special recognition. Often we tend to see old movies as just that, however this movie is a precious reminder of the late sixties and a world of escapism, but where a reality check encourages the viewer to regard each day as special.

You can find this at cvmc.net - I ordered one and it's an excellent copy. It's format 0 so it will work on most DVD players. It was $39.99 plus $5.00 s/h. It comes with a labeled case and is very professional looking. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the movie. I have been looking for this movie forever and this is the first professional copy I've found that works in U.S. players. I found a couple of people willing to make and send a copy but no one ever came through for me and the quality offered was questionable. I hope this helps everyone who loved this movie as a child and who has been looking for it. This was a great movie and I'm so happy that it's finally available.

Saw this movie 36 years ago (1970) in Curacao Netherlands Antilles in a drive inn theater, when I was 10 years old. It was vivid in my memory for a long time. Yesterday, I finally found the link on internet. I initially thought it was a Disney/American movie. The movie made a massive impression on me, the lost boy was my hero, his father, the rescuer, did everything for his sun. A movie about loneliness, compassion, fear and bravery. Amazing to hear the boy lives in South Africa. What would be the reason the movie was so scarcely distributed? Apartheid? I now realize this movie has had a great impact on my live, probably through sheer realism and shocking scenes, I'm happy now I can focus my thoughts on the making of the movie and not it contents.