Dirkie DeVries is eight years old and played by Wynand Uys, credited as Dirkie Hayes; he’s the son of director, writer, and producer Jamie Uys, who also directed The Gods Must Be Crazy. As he flies over the Kalahari Desert with his Uncle Pete (Pieter Hauptfleisch), the old dude has a heart attack, stranding Dickie and his small dog (Lolly, played by Lady Frolic Of Belvedale) in the middle of nowhere, with his father Anton (Jamie Uys) searching for him.

If you love dogs, this is a harrowing movie, as that little Cairn Terrier is supposedly eaten, has rocks thrown at it, fights hyenas, and so much more. It lives, barely, as does Dickie. But not for any lack of trying by the actor’s own father!

This could have been released as early as 1969, under the title Dirkie Lost in the Desert in South Africa. This is a cruel movie to make children watch, one that seemingly has nature and foreign cultures at war with kids. If I had seen it when I was small, I would have nightmares to this day.

As for young Wynaad, he had to film all of this twice, as they made both an English and Afrikaans version. He never acted again. I can only imagine how he felt about his dad, but since then, he has worked in adventure travel and as a pilot in the Kruger Park region of South Africa.

You can download this movie from the Internet Archive.