Lion of the Desert is a 1981 Libyan historical action film starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar, a Berber Bedouin leader fighting the Italian army in the years leading up to World War II and Oliver Reed as Italian General Rodolfo Graziani, who attempted to defeat Mukhtar. It was directed by Moustapha Akkad and funded by the government under Muammar Gaddafi. Released in May 1981, the film was liked by critics and audiences but performed poorly financially, bringing in just $1 million net worldwide. . The film was forbidden in Italy in 1982 and was only shown on pay TV in 2009.