By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Radu Mihaileanu
Starring: Moshe Agazai | Rami Danon | Roni Hadar | Sirak M. Sabahat | Yaël Abecassis
Original language title: Va, Vis et Deviens
Country: belgium, france, israel, italy
Year: 2006
Running time: 140
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388505/combined
Michael says: “LIVE AND BECOME is the first epic film to be made about the migration of the Ethiopian Jews to Israel. As that, it has a little bit of the epic formula that Atom Egoyan so successfully avoided in ARARAT. But by following a formula that we might expect, it allows us to become emotionally involved in a story that most people in the U.S. probably know very little about, and in that respect, it works extraordinarily well. More importantly, LIVE AND BECOME is the story of mothers, and the lengths they will go to in order to give their children the best life they can. And that’s something that is universal, and wonderfully crafted in this film.
“Schlomo has made the unimaginable journey from Sudan to Ethiopia on foot with his mother. In an effort to save his life, his mother forces him to travel to Israel with another woman who has just lost her son. To make this journey, Schlomo must pretend that he is Jewish. Once in Israel, he finds himself alone and struggling with his difficult past experiences. He is adopted by a liberal family who love him and bring him up in a warm, supportive family. Yet throughout his life, Schlomo must deal with the fact that he is living a lie, while others of his country are struggling and dying horribly. Director Radu Mihaileanu throws a little bit of everything into LIVE AND BECOME, but it all works, painting a complex portrait of a culture that seems alien to us.
“The acting really scores highest in LIVE AND BECOME. Schlomo is played by three actors at three different ages, and they are all superb. Moshe Agazi is the standout as Schlomo as a child. He captures the loneliness and isolation of a child who has undergone great trauma and must adapt to entirely alien life. Moshe Abebe continues Schlomo’s story as a teenager, and Sirak Sabahat completes the story as the adult Schlomo. Yaël Abecassis shines as Schlomo’s adoptive mother, Yaël. Her fierce devotion to her adopted son is utterly convincing and powerful. Meskie Shibru Sivan and Mimi Abonesh Kebede, the two women who play Schlomo’s birth mother and ‘pretend’ mother make powerful impacts despite their brief screen times. And Roni Hadar reveals unexpected depth as Schlomo’s girlfriend Sara. 4 1/2 cats
“This film was screened at the Boston Jewish Film Festival.”