Synopsis
Set in early 20th-century Kenya, Out of Africa follows Karen Blixen, who moves to Africa for an arranged marriage and struggles to run a coffee plantation while navigating love, loss, and independence. Her passionate relationship with adventurer Denys Finch Hatton challenges her desire for permanence against his fierce need for freedom. The film is a sweeping romantic epic that beautifully explores themes of belonging, sacrifice, and the untameable spirit of Africa.
Why Watch It
A sweeping romance set against the golden landscapes of colonial Kenya, featuring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in understated performances that let the vast African vistas speak louder than dialogue. Pollack crafts an elegiac love story that's as much about freedom and independence as it is about passion, with cinematography that transforms the setting into a character itself.
Did You Know?
- Won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture in 1986.
- Filmed on location in Kenya near the real Ngong Hills.
- Meryl Streep learned to speak with a Danish accent for the role.
- Based on Karen Blixen's memoir published under pen name Isak Dinesen.
- Robert Redford refused to use an English accent for his character.
Iconic Quotes
- I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills.
- I don't want to find out the end of my story.
- If I know a song of Africa, does Africa know a song of me?
- He was not ours. He was not mine.
- I had a compass. And I had time.
