It was in December of 1974 during a fuel shortage or embargo. We were driving down the Sani Pass on vapors in a VW micro bus from Lesotho into South Africa. From my memory, they didn't film in Lesotho but in the Drakenstein Mountains in South Africa. We hung out with the crew for a bit, played with the dog and its double and then bought some petrol from them and continued to the Natal Coast. We did go see the movie when it came out in Cape Town and later I saw it on TV in the States. Very different endings. It is a good little moral tale playing to decent sentiments in a country that was beginning to come to terms with the reality of apartheid only to come unstuck in 1976. The American version wasn't as effective.

This movie was exceptional. Like some of the other posts I too have never forgotten this movie. Very, very powerful - 30 years later I can still recall vivid images and details of this movie. I struggled to find the title of this movie as the only thing I could remember about the title was the word "free". I remember seeing the movie in the theater as a child; I figured the movie was released in the 70's; it seems so amazing to have such a memory of this film at the age of 7. What I remember most was the despair and alienation that the African boy was going through after arriving in New York to reconnect with his friend. His struggle seemed to mirror the feelings that I had as a adopted child that I could not find the words to express. I now have a family of my own and I would really love to have a copy of this movie.

Like an earlier poster, I was 13 years old and caught up in all the Star Wars hype. It was raining, and my mum dragged me into the cinema to see this. I did not want to see it. But the ending has remained with me ever since. (Yes, I did cry and so did my mum). I have no idea how it would seem now, but I would love to see it again.Update 2009. I finally got hold of a copy on DVD and watched it with my daughter who is the same age now that I was when I last watched it.The film seems a bit dated now, but the story still held my daughter's attention. That final scene still hits you like an emotional sledgehammer though, and I can report tears.

I saw this film about fifteen years ago and was overwhelmed by the enchanting fairytale story of a young child abandoned to the nuns and is raised by them in South Africa. He befriends a native child and they become inseparable. Add a fluffy puppy called Snowball and just allow yourself to watch. The film doesn't watch like a Disney film, the children are never precocious, when the adventures get serious, they aren't far-fetched. You see yourself doing those stupid things as a kid.One accident brings the white child to America, and the native child journeys to visit him. The disastrous results of his arrival are spell-binding to watch unfold, as well as his rescue. Then New York is all theirs.The film is so subtle, you don't realize it is Jose Ferrer and Karen Valentine in the movie. Even Bernadette Peter's song is gentle. Definitely watch this film if you are in a depressed mood. It will cheer you up. I would love to see it again, but believe it or not, I recorded Peter's song off on an audio cassette and still have it. What a charmer this film was.