Movies / Documentaries on African Safari:

When I was 10 year or so, I saw Hatari at Odeon cinema in Delhi and then again later some 20 years ago. The following is a collection of movies & documentaries that I recommend, to experience an African Landscape and Safari.

Top Movies with African Safari:

• Out of Africa (1985): Based on a true story. Danish baroness Karen Blixen, from Denmark, living on a Kenyan coffee plantation, forms a complicated and passionate relationship with a free-spirited big-game hunter named Denys Finch Hatton. The film explores their love and the beauty of the African landscape.

• Hatari! (1962): The word Hatari inSwahili means danger/risk. John Wayne leads a diverse team of professional animal catchers in Tanzania, Africa. They capture wild animals for zoos. The film focuses on the camaraderie, humor, and romance among the group, all set against breathtaking African vistas 

• Borne Free (1966): True life story. George and Joy Adamson (Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna) live in the wilderness in Kenya. In self defense, George kills a lion and his mate only to find they were protecting their three cubs. He and his wife decide to raise the cubs.

Top Documentaries on African Safari:

1. Africa (BBC, 2013, narrated by David Attenborough)

   • Six-part masterpiece showcasing deserts, jungles, savannas, and safari wildlife.

2. The Last Lions (National Geographic, 2011)

   • Follows a lioness’s fight for her cubs in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

3. Dynasties: Lions (BBC, 2018)

   • An intimate and dramatic portrait of a Kenyan lion pride’s struggle to survive.

4. Serengeti (Discovery/BBC, 2019, narrated by Lupita Nyong’o)

   • Stunning docu-series following lions, hyenas, baboons, elephants, and more.

5. Our Planet: Jungles & Grasslands episode (Netflix, 2019, narrated by David Attenborough)

   • Incredible safari footage highlighting elephants, lions, and wildebeest migrations.

6. Earth (2007, Disneynature)

   • A sweeping nature documentary that follows elephants, lions, and other animals across Africa.