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Duma

Play trailer Poster for Duma PG 2005 1h 40m Kids & Family Adventure Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Xan lives on a ranch in Kenya with his mother and father. When the family stumbles upon an abandoned baby cheetah one afternoon, Xan takes the cub in and begins to care for it as if it were his own. Over time, Xan grows incredibly attached to the cheetah, which the family names Duma. But some relationships cannot last, and in this case, Xan must learn the hard lesson that not all animals are meant to be domesticated.
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Duma

Duma

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Critics Consensus

This is an old-fashioned, richly textured family film that will appeal to children and adults alike.

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Critics Reviews

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Michael Booth Denver Post Feb 8, 2008
It's a crime what happened to the wonderful African wilderness movie Duma in 2005. Beautifully directed by veteran Carroll Ballard, Duma fell flat in the United States because of bad timing and abysmal marketing. Go to Full Review Nancy Churnin Dallas Morning News Mar 31, 2006
B+
For those wishing they still made films like The Black Stallion, today is your lucky day. Go to Full Review Philip Kennicott Washington Post Mar 30, 2006
Visually panoramic, a film that revels in making the expanse of a beautiful place palpable. Go to Full Review Michael Clark Epoch Times Feb 28, 2022
5/5
Few filmmakers can get remotely close to matching Ballard's slugging percentage. He said what he had to say, never wore out his welcome, and exited on a high note. More than a few of his lesser-talented contemporary peers should follow his lead. Go to Full Review Heather Boerner Common Sense Media Dec 18, 2010
4/5
Enchanting coming-of-age story for kids. Go to Full Review Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed Apr 29, 2009
A pure children's film with an exciting story, genuine characters, and deep messages about life, love, and loss. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 24, 2026 Duma = a 4.5 star Movie! See more Jonathan B @JonnyBru Mar 14, 2026 Beautiful film. Watched this with my 9 and almost 11 yr old and we all loved it. I read about it after watching Black Stallion, another beautiful film for kids. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 22, 2025 Success in 1 hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG for Mild Adventure Peril!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $860,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy 20th anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Dave C @RT09838700 Dec 29, 2024 Bland and poorly told story we've seen versions of before. Still, interesting enough to lift above a single star See more Peter G @Petermovielover Oct 28, 2023 A few minor realistic elements aside this is a very satisfying & largely believable ˋcoming of age‘ film which illustrates a growing & touching bond between a 12 year old boy & a baby orphan cheetah that he & his father rescue & how this relationship develops as the animal grows. It shows in a honest non sentimental fashion how the young boy comes to understand where this wild animal really belongs which then begins a rather incredible but exciting adventure to return the cheetah to its proper wild habitat. Ballard, the director, has made other films showing man & animal dealing with nature & his celebrated cinematography is well on display here. Not merely a ˋfamily film‘ but a thoughtful one for all ages. See more Feb 27, 2021 One of my all time favorite films. Not because it is some masterpiece, but because it is a wonderfully simple story that is told very well. Visually charming, wonderful characters, and a great setting! I also love the music in this film. Songs like "Issa Lullaby" and "Phiry the Bird Sings" are some of my favorites. As a side note, I used to live in South Africa and the cheetah from this film visited my school (AISJ Pretoria was the school)! This was awhile ago. Maybe 2006. I was in 2nd grade and they brought the cheetah into our classroom and let us all line up pet her! She was very calm and it was the first time I had ever seen a cheetah so up close! One the many reasons this film holds a fond place in my heart. See more Read all reviews
Duma

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Carroll Ballard

Director

Alex Michaeletos

Xan

Eamonn Walker

Ripkuna

Campbell Scott

Peter

Hope Davis

Kristin

Mary Makhatho

Thandi

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Duma

ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan and his lovable cheetah Duma ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan and his lovable cheetah Duma ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan and EAMMON WALKER as Rip (L-r) HOPE DAVIS as Kristin, CAMPBELL SCOTT as Peter and ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan with his lovable cheetah Duma ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan and his lovable cheetah Duma CAMPBELL SCOTT as Peter, HOPE DAVIS as Kristin and the lovable cheetah Duma ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan and his lovable cheetah Duma ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan and his lovable cheetah Duma ALEX MICHAELETOS as Xan in Warner Bros. Pictures' family adventure Duma A scene from the film Duma. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Xan lives on a ranch in Kenya with his mother and father. When the family stumbles upon an abandoned baby cheetah one afternoon, Xan takes the cub in and begins to care for it as if it were his own. Over time, Xan grows incredibly attached to the cheetah, which the family names Duma. But some relationships cannot last, and in this case, Xan must learn the hard lesson that not all animals are meant to be domesticated.
Director
Carroll Ballard
Producer
Kristin Harms, Hunt Lowry, John Wells
Screenwriter
Carol Flint, Karen Janszen
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Pandora Pictures, Gaylord Films, John Wells Productions, Warner Brothers
Rating
PG (Mild Adventure Peril)
Genre
Kids & Family, Adventure, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 30, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 3, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$860.0K
Runtime
1h 40m
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