The Desert Child

Victorian Premiere

This awe-inspiring family adventure tells the true story of a boy who survives 10 years in the Sahara Desert and reaffirms the power of storytelling as a tool for personal discovery.

Sun is a 14-year-old who publishes her debut novel based on a story her grandfather told her, about a boy, Hadara, who is lost in the Sahara and is raised by ostriches and befriended by desert animals. She has never considered that the story is really true, but when she is invited to the desert by local tribespeople, they reveal that it is, and that they are in fact the descendants of the very real Hadara.

Uncovering the incredible and sweeping story piece-by-piece through the tales of the tribespeople, Sun discovers an extraordinary story of survival, and unlocks the key to her own family history.

Festival Appearances/Awards
Joburg Film Festival 2026 – Official Selection