Dirkie

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.

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.

I have just finished watching the film "Duma" on one of the movies channels on Homechoice in the UK and throughout kept having flashes of a film I half remembered which I saw as a kid. At first I thought "Duma" must be a remake but there were too many deviations.

After a phone call to South Africa and a lot of arguing my Mother reminded me that as a kid we saw a movie called "Dirkie" at the drive-in in Joh'burg. I wasn't even at school and she has never yet managed to remember both plot and title.

I was sure she was wrong. I'd never heard of "Dirkie" and then I looked up the title on the Internet and had a great time reading all the comments.

I too remember this poor kid being chased by ostriches and getting stung by a scorpion. And walking for ever through the sand. Were the chapped lips and mouth that was stuck together the reason there was so little dialogue? Or was it that the boy was Afrikaans-speaking and the movie was being sold outside of SA?

So if you want to watch something similar (or perhaps you're a home-sick South African sitting in a freezing cold London) I recommend "Duma". It is a kid's movie but very touching. I think I'll have to find an excuse to watch it again.

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.

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.