Directed by:
Michael SwanScreenplay:
Michael SwanCinematography:
Michael SwanComposer:
Philip MillerVOD (1)
Plots(1)
According to the legend of the Shangaan, white lions are the messengers of the gods, but it has been years since one has been seen in their remote African valley. When a white lion is miraculously born into that valley, a young Shangaan named Gisani, finds himself destined to protect this rare and magnificent creature at all costs. This young lion, whom will be known as Letsatsi, is cast from his pride and forced to embark upon a perilous journey of survival. Close to starvation, Letsatsi befriends Nkulu, an older lion and together they learn how to survive in the harsh African wilderness Gisani, who is watching over Letsatsi, takes a job as a tracker with a local hunter, who has his sights set on leading the hunt for this rare and magnificent white lion. Gisani, guided by fate, believes that he must find a way to prevent this tragedy from happening. When Nkulu is killed by a farmer, Letsatsi is forced once again to survive on his own. After many trials and tribulations he finally learns to hunt by himself and grows into a magnificent adult. But before he can take over a pride of his own, Letsatsi and Gisani must face their greatest challenge - the trophy hunter- for whom legends are worthless and rare skins priceless. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
An old shaman tells the story of the legendary white lion at the campfire. The story is told like a fairy tale, but smaller children might be left feeling depressed rather than joyful. The defenseless lions, friends of the white lion, are finished off with a rifle shot, for example. The concept of a film straddling the line between documentary and feature film is also an unfortunate choice. For a feature film, the story is far too simple and the guidance of the actors and the editing of some scenes are extremely forced. But the shots of lions and other animals in the African bush are just as beautiful as those from National Geographic. All in all, the whole film looks as if a director of NG documentaries tried to shoot his first feature film. As a documentary full of the beautiful colors of the African wilderness, it’s worthy of four stars, even more so if you love animals, especially cute little lion cubs. As a feature film, however, it merits two stars at most.
()