We recently conducted a poll of our social media followers to discover their favorite movies about Africa. We were delighted with the results—and even added a few titles to our own must-watch list! Here are a few to consider when you’re ready to get in the mood for your next trip to Africa.
The Lion King
A retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, this animated Disney film won rave reviews after its 1994 release. With a sing-along score and a number of big-name actors (Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, and others), this movie really does have something for the whole family. If you’ve already seen the movie more times than you can count, try catching the Broadway version, which has appeared in cities around the world.
Out of Africa
A story as much about the differences between Europe and Africa as those between men and women, Out of Africa offers striking scenery (both landscapes and actors) alongside a sweeping tale of love and loss. Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, this movie won the Best Picture Academy Award in 1985.
Ghost and the Darkness
This 1996 movie (set in 1898) recounts a dramatized version of lion attacks that occurred during the construction of the African Uganda-Mombasa Railway. The attacks are considered unusual because a pair of lions (dubbed the titular Ghost and the Darkness) attack together, rather than individually. Drama ensues when men’s lives, reputations, and livelihoods are at stake.
Nowhere in Africa
A German film made in 2001, Nowhere in Africa depicts the story of a German Jewish family that flees Europe for Kenya in 1938 to escape encroaching Nazi forces. While the family avoids the immediate danger, more trouble awaits, including difficulty adjusting to life in Africa, the challenges of working a farm, and marital discord for the main characers. A deeply emotional and beautifully wrought story, Nowhere in Africa won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001.
Catch a Fire
Shot in South Africa, Mozambique, and Swaziland, Catch a Fire captures the political strife of the Apartheid regime by following one man wrongly accused of a political crime. After the man and his family are tortured under false charges, he vows revenge and joins forces with guerilla anti-Apartheid fighters. Chilling and emotionally charged, this movie displays the ultimately redemptive power of forgiveness.
The Gods Must be Crazy
This 1980 comedy makes light of the clashes between African tribal culture and Western culture, which often exist side by side without encountering each other. Three overlapping plots make for zany antics that nevertheless highlight some sobering realities about the African continent.
I Dreamed of Africa
Based on an autobiographical novel of the same name, I Dreamed of Africa tells the tale of an upper-class Italian woman named Kuki, played by Kim Basinger. After divorcing and remarrying, Kuki moves to Kenya with her new husband, but finds herself unprepared for the challenges her new home presents.
Shooting Dogs (Beyond the Gates in the U.S.)
Shot in Rwanda, with many Rwandan crewmembers and actors, this movie follows two Europeans (a Catholic priest and a journalist) living in Rwanda at the time of the Rwandan Genocide. This story is harrowing and based on true events.
Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments section!