KATO-SUBZERO Yom Shi Shi, 9 September 2016: I found this movie by accident, but I am so happy that I did. I wish that I had known of it in year 2005. This film is based on a true story about Ethiopian Jews suffering and dying in Ethiopia, Africa for lack of food and medical help and that eventually Israel saves them. The English title is: "Live and Become" or "Live and Become Jewish", which is about a Christian boy and his Christian mother in Ethiopia. To save her son, when the Israelis arrive to save many Ethiopian Black Jews, the mom tells her son to say that he is Jewish and go live in Israel so that he will not die in Ethiopia.The young actors, Moshe Abebe and Sirak Sabahat both playing "Solomon" at different ages and pretty Israeli actress, Yael Abecassi in the role of the adoptive mother both deserves an academy award. The entire cast was excellent. Excellent acting, excellent direction and great locations. Also it was great to hear the dialogue in Ivrit and also in Amharic, but I don't know why French is included.I also love when the young cute Jewish girl, actress, Roni Hadar started to like Solomon in spite of his dark skin. God does NOT see skin color, Elohim, Adonai, El Elyon Only see the heart and mind of people. Real Love overcomes hate, bigotry and prejudice and I think that if I had the chance to meet a pretty White Israeli Jewish woman, love and marriage would Not happen between us because I too am African Black American and I would be looked down upon because of my skin color.My favorite scenes was when Yael told him that Sarah loves him and she waited 10 years for him he better tell her that he loves her. I thought finally and the beautiful wedding scenes. But even more what I loved is the fact that Sarah loved him in spite of his skin color not born Jewish. True Love conquers all.But I wish that more White Jews and darker skin Jews (converts included) would open their hearts and minds and allow men and women to love and marry freely without all the racism. For the Jewish women and men in America that have open hearts and minds and loved and married darker skin, I say Toda La El for them.I also loved the scenes with the Jewish celebrations, music and dancing. The Israel Jewish culture of religious and non religious is very beautiful with the dancing in a large circle and celebrations.I hope that when it was originally released that it was well received and won some awards.I wish that it was release in United States. Todah Rabah.Shalom, Laila Tov ve La heet ra ot.

jpschapira Radu Mihaileanu's "Live and become" could be defined as an 'indie crowd-pleaser'. I know it's not the best definition, but think about it: a European movie with a lot of nonprofessional actors, an inspiring title and story…Strong story. Films like this one always make the intelligent viewer suspicious, and with reason. There were many things I though I'd see in "Live and become"; I found them all. The script, by Mihaileanu and Alain-Michel Blanc, constructs its bases from something that has to be veridical because of the way the movie presents it, with admitted seriousness. If it's not, then the director and his writing partner have made us believe the suffering throughout someone's life and the film's most revealing moments from something that never occurred. Schlomo, the film's main character, leaves a village in Ethiopia because his mother obliges him. Soon the 9-year-old, a non-Jew, finds himself in Israel saying a name that's not his (but it's the only one we ever know he has) and admitting to be a part of a religion he didn't grow up knowing: Judaism. When he leaves his mother, she tells him something like: "Live and become, and don't come back until then".The boy obeys, of course, but lives his whole life trying to understand what his mother meant, as he talks to the moon as if it where his mother and writes letters and arguments to defend himself in debates relating them with his personal feelings. In his life in Israel, he lives with adoptive parents Yael (Yael Abecassis) and Yoram (Roschdy Zem), who love him but, although he learns to love them back, he only wants to go back home. One man will help him manage this desire, but I won't tell you who he is because the role he plays in the boy's life and how they meet each other is probably the film's highest point.I don't want to sound disqualifying, but it's hard to sustain a story like the one "Live and become" presents. I suspected that it would center everything on the boy's dilemma, and it did. Everything revolves around the prejudice and consequences of Schlomo's situation; some discussions become predictable and sometimes it seems this is being exploited so much that it leaves the rest undeveloped. The truth is that there's not much more character development in the film than the three- dimensional Schlomo, who is played by three different actors and only one seems to comprehend him (Sirak M. Sabahat), when the boy is no more and we see him in his maturity. When I said "Live and become" was a crowd-pleaser, I meant that it knows the material it's dealing with and the effect it can generate in an audience. It's a big dramatic effect of course, that generally provokes a big smile or a little tear. The experience I had with "Live and become" is very similar to the ones I had with "Whale Rider", from New Zealand, and "The Pursuit of Happiness" from USA; both crowdpleasers. "Whale Rider" relied on Keisha Castle Hughes' presence to generate emotion (and maybe too much on the images), and 'Pursuit' relied on Will Smith's chemistry with his son (and not so much on the images). Here, the actors don't have the sparkle, and Mihaileanu bets it on the music-loud and heartbreaking-and the images. The three films are moving; I said it, but I didn't buy any of their stories. This one could have the most solid general development, a fact that may redeem its poor, crowd-pleasing ending.

aharmas 2008 is proving to be an outstanding year for all types of movies, from the sheer beautiful heart of Wall-E to the pure emotional powerhouse that "Live and Become" turns out to be.A human story of epic proportions takes us on an emotional roller-coaster as one child tries to be true to himself and survive in a world full of contradictions, pretty much like walking on an emotional minefield. Already devastated by a traumatic childhood, when he leaves him unable to connect with others as he adapts to a new life, a new family, a new religious culture that is both embracing and hostile at times."Live and Become" contains devastating moments, as Sholomon desperately tries not to sever his ties with the mother he left behind. There is plenty of emotional turmoil as he keeps who love from connecting with him. There is Yael, his adoptive mother, who unselfishly loves him and tries to support him throughout the story, and eventually we meet Sarah, another source of both love and disappointment for our protagonist.Until the very end, Sholomon appears to be in a state of emotional confusion, but he slowly begins to understand who truly loves him and understands him. Nothing prepares you for the devastating conclusion. "Live and Become" will make feel, look inside yourself, and hopefully will allow to be more understanding of those whose lives are not as fortunate as ours.

jotix100 A film of epic proportions, "Va, vis et deviens", shows an excellent director, Radu Mihaileunu at his best. Mr. Miahueunu, who co-wrote the screen play with Alain Michel Blanc, gives us a slice of life in this life affirming film that will please audiences because the way these two men decided to present their story that centers around a tragedy perpetrated in Africa.A young Ethiopian child sees enough devastation around him. When he is separated from his own mother, a kind Jewish black woman, advises him to assume a new identity, that of an Ethiopian Jew, so he will qualify to be taken to Israel, part of a plan to help settle these unfortunate people in the land of milk and honey. The young man, who has witnessed enough tragedy during his short years, goes along and is taken to a place where he has no one, or even belong.Schlomo, as he is called, is lucky enough to be adopted by a kind Israeli family with two young children of their own. Being black in an almost all white society has its disadvantages, as the young man learns early on. The love of his adoptive parents should have been sufficient, but he is a child that knows he doesn't belong among these nice people that have opened their home, and accept him. Schlomo, who we see through different aspects of his life, as a boy, then a teen ager, and a grown man, meets an older Jewish black man, another fellow Ethiopian, who helps him overcome his fears and ask him to come clean, not only to Sarah, the woman who loves him, but to everybody. The big secret he has been carrying all his life, is a burden keeps him enslaved all his life, revealing it, will free him of the tremendous guilt in his heart.There are excellent all around performances in the film. Yael Abecassis and Roschay Zen, who play the adoptive parents make a tremendous contribution to the film. The young Schlomo is acted by three different actors, all of them good. They contribute to make this, one of the most credible movies in a while.The hauntingly beautiful music of Arman Amar, and the cinematography of Semy Chevin, make the film even better to watch. The director, Radu Mihaileunu shows great sensitivity with the material and turns a great picture that will be hard to forget.