White Lion (2010)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Swan

Writers:

Ivan Milborrow, Michael Swan

Stars:

Jamie Bartlett, John Kani, Thabo Malema

4 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jamie Bartlett	...	Richards
John Kani	...	Old Gisani
Thabo Malema	...	Young Gisani
A.J. van der Merwe	...	Nicalski
Brendan Grealy	...	Brooker
Ayrton Loureiro	...	Camping Son
David Clatworthy	...	Camping Dad
Jennifer Steyn	...	Camping Mother
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jason Kennett

Storyline

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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

bonfire | shirtless man | children | story telling | hyena | 

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Taglines:

Home is a Journey

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild action and brief smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

The grownup white lion is a lion named Thor. Thor died, ironically, when struck by lightning on 5 December 2013. Thor lived his life at the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa. Kevin Richardson also being the producer of this movie.

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Connections

Referenced in Take the Tower: Episode #1.6 (2018)

User Reviews

Survival of The Great White

'Can't seem to be getting enough of these lion movies. Just a couple of months ago I had watched the delightful 'African Cats' and tonight, saw 'White Lion'. Shot beautifully through South Africa, it's quite apparent how much effort the film took. Kevin Richardson really wanted to make this film even though the odds were against it. His love for lions is obvious and his determination to get 'White Lion' made has paid off. On the flip side, the direction is flawed. There are some continuity problems. The narration is occasionally interrupted when the film returns to the present day sequences of the storyteller and the children. The score is quite generic and the acting by the supporting cast, especially the 'prize' hunter is awful. In spite of this, thanks to Janet Van Eeden and Ivan Milborrow's writing that the story, even though a bit predictable and sometimes resorting to clichés, has heart and it holds your attention as you follow young Letsatsi through his journey. The lions who play Letsatsi (there are more than a dozen) do a great job. Moreover, the visuals of the raw African landscape are simply breathtaking. There are some visuals that have been amazingly shot. One wonders how the cameraman achieved these images as they're very difficult to obtain but he did it. All in all, I enjoyed 'White Lion' and wouldn't mind seeing it again.

Details

Official Sites:

Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary Official site

Country:

South Africa

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 February 2010 (South Africa)

Also Known As:

White Lion

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

ZAR40,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$99,635

Company Credits

Production Co:

Peru Productions

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1