Quest for Fire poster

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Streaming data from JustWatch

Quest for Fire

1981 · Movie · 100 min
B

MEANRANK

75/100

Averaged across 10 ratings · 69.2K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 29 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

Google: Google retired the star ratings it used to show in search results, so this one no longer updates. More on where the numbers come from →

58–92 out of 100

Split

Lowest is Criticker on 58, highest is Google on 92.

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In prehistoric times, a tribe's precious fire is extinguished during an attack. Three tribesmen are sent on a perilous journey to find a new source of fire. Their quest leads them through a dangerous landscape where they encounter other early human tribes, hostile wildlife, and eventually, a more advanced tribe that has mastered creating fire.

Details

Based on
The Quest for Fire by Q725475
Released
16 December 1981
Country
Canada, France
Language
None, French
Runtime
100 min
Rated
R
Budget
$12.0M
Box office
$55.3M
Awards
11 wins, 7 nominations

This title elsewhere

Ron Perlman

Ron Perlman

Amoukar

Gary Schwartz

Gary Schwartz

Rouka - tribu Ulam

Naseer El-Kadi

Naseer El-Kadi

Nam - tribu Ulam

Franck-Olivier Bonnet

Franck-Olivier Bonnet

Aghoo - tribu Ulam

Jean-Michel Kindt

Lakar - tribu Ulam

Awards & nominations

See all 18 →

3 major awards won · 11 wins from 18 nominations across 6 ceremonies

55th Academy Awards 1981 Best Makeup Sarah Monzani Michèle Burke Winner
7th César Awards 1981 Best Director Jean-Jacques Annaud Winner
7th César Awards 1981 Best Film Jean-Jacques Annaud Winner
40th Golden Globe Awards 1981 Best Foreign Film N/a Nominee
7th César Awards 1981 Best Screenplay, Dialogue or Adaptation Gérard Brach Nominee
7th César Awards 1981 Best Music Written for a Film Philippe Sarde Nominee
7th César Awards 1981 Best Cinematography Claude Agostini Nominee
7th César Awards 1981 Best Production Design Brian Morris Nominee
Show all 18 awards across 6 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.