Blue Bird

George, the ten year old son of English settlers in midwestern America apparently about the time of the French and Indian Wars, is kidnapped by a native tribe and taken to their village. At first, you don't know what their intentions are toward the boy who is played by Robin Jaeger. When he is stripped, painted black and held under water, you think it may be some kind of ritual murder. However, it's only part of his initiation into the tribe. Renamed "Blauvogel" (Blue Hawk), he spends the next several years being raised by the Indians, who prove to be kind and probably more virtuous than the Europeans from which he came. Eventually, he is returned to his English family, but finds the readjustment difficult, particularly as they do not have the same respect for nature as the American natives.

"Blauvogel" is in German and the version I saw had no subtitles, although I found it easy to follow and quite engrossing.