The Lion That Thought He Was People

(1971)

85 minutes.

Directed by Bill Travers

Cast: Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna and Anthony Burke

Film / Animal / Documentary

aka “Christian the Lion”

This movie is a companion to the 1972 book 'A Lion Called Christian' by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall. The film was a documentary produced to finance the project of sending Christian from London to the wilds of east Africa. With the exception of the dramatized opening scene of Christian being introduced to Bill Travers, it was filmed as it happened and its simple, honest style is very effective.