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Va, Vis et Deviens/Live and Become

Aging with Schlomo
By BROOKE HOLGERSON  |  October 4, 2006
2.5 2.5 Stars

Based on the stories of the Ethiopian Jews who arrived as refugees in Israel in the 1980s as part of Operation Moses, writer/director Radu Mihaileanu’s film tells the fictionalized story of a Christian child whose mother passes him off as Jewish to save him from the famine. He’s adopted by an Israeli family, and Mihaileanu is at his best in these early years, as nine-year-old Schlomo struggles with life in a new country. But the film goes on for another hour and a half, following Schlomo through high school and into adulthood. He’s portrayed by three actors; Moshe Agazai brings heartbreaking intensity to young Schlomo, and the film never recovers when the others step in. The most affecting scenes occur early, as when Schlomo takes off his new sneakers to walk barefoot the way he did in Africa. By the time this meandering movie reaches Schlomo’s adulthood, you’ll feel you’ve added a few years too.

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  Topics: Reviews , Natural Disasters
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Comments
Va, Vis et Deviens/Live and Become
Of all the films that address international migration, this is one of the most poignant I've encountered. I'm thrilled that it is finally available to US audiences (I'd seen it only in Mexico previously)! The US media pays little attention to the troubled status of Falasha Jews abroad; this film is a good way to begin or enhance your education on the subject. Free of pretension and with no apparent political agenda, the talented director/cast lead you on a riveting and journey from Ethiopia to Israel, tracing the political and personal issues involved in the transport of refugees across cultural and national boundaries. The movie is as entertaining as it is revelatory. Intelligent, moving, et cetera; fill in the blank with whatever praise you'd like, just please see this film; it will inspire you, inform you, and (I hope) move you to action!
By Clare on 07/02/2007 at 11:29:26

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