7.8/10
5,828
40 user 54 critic

Va, vis et deviens (2005)

A Christian boy escapes to Israel from famine-stricken Ethiopia by pretending to be Jewish.

Director:

Radu Mihaileanu

Writers:

Alain-Michel Blanc (collaborator on screenplay), Radu Mihaileanu
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12 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yaël Abecassis ... Yael
Roschdy Zem ... Yoram
Moshe Agazai Moshe Agazai ... Schlomo enfant
Moshe Abebe Moshe Abebe ... Schlomo adolescent
Sirak M. Sabahat Sirak M. Sabahat ... Schlomo adulte
Yitzhak Edgar Yitzhak Edgar ... Le Qès Amara
Roni Hadar ... Sara
Rami Danon ... Papy
Mimi Abonesh Kebede Mimi Abonesh Kebede ... Hana - la mère Juive Ethiopienne
Meskie Shibru ... La mère de Schlomo (as Meskie Shibru Sivan)
Raymonde Abecassis ... Suzy
Yosi Alfi Yosi Alfi ... Rabbin Talmud Tora (as Yossi Alfi)
Shmil Ben Ari ... Directeur internat (as Shmil Ben-Ari)
Shlomo Vishinsky ... Le policier
Shai Fredo ... Le traducteur
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Storyline

In 1980 the black Falashas in Ethiopia are recognised as genuine Jews. In turn they are secretly carried to Israel. The day before the transport the son of a Jewish mother dies. In his place and with his name (Schlomo) she takes a Christian 9-year-old boy. Upon arrival this second mother dies. Schlomo is adopted by a good family but remains depressed until he secretly sends a letter to his real mother. From the beginning he experiences large and small racist difficulties. In his teens he and Sarah fall in love. Her father is an extreme racist. Schlomo tries to gain "real Jewishness" by winning a competition in Bible interpretation. No change of Sarah's father's attitude. Disappointed he goes to the police and reports himself as not being a Jew. But the police officer just gives him a scolding. "The newspapers are full of that stuff, the Falashas are no Jews. Now they begin to believe it themselves." His adoptive parents send him to France to study medicine. When he afterwards marries ... Written by Max Scharnberg, Stockholm, Sweden

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

jew | love | israel | letter | christian | See All (105) »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, Narrative Award Winner: 2006 See more »

Quotes

Schlomo adolescent: Should we give back land we consider our own. We were deprived of it in our wanderings and had no other to call our own. And now we finally have it back and we love it...
Papy: This tree provides shade. We planted it 50 years ago. But the tree over there; it was there before we got here. I think we should share the land, like the sun and the shade, so that others can know love too.
Schlomo adolescent: Even if we risk being pushed to the sea and dying?
Papy: Love dosen't come without risks. And it's difficult to decide how others...
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User Reviews

 
Its a 10
22 June 2005 | by john-2244See all my reviews

I saw this at the Shanghai film festival,it was called there -Live and become- I knew nothing about it. It is one of the few film that gave me a history lesson as well as complete entertainment. I really didn't notice the Cinematography or even the music. the story was encapsulating,and albeit fiction,had that real aura that made you think that something identical or very close ,has actually happened. The young Schlomo was excellent as was the mother-in fact I really couldn't find a weak performance. If you liked The Last Emperor or Dances with Wolves this movie should have a similar effect. I know quite a lot about both the countries involved in this story and I thought the director was flawless in portraying each culture. He was also flawless in taking you down one path, and just when you thought it was safe and predictable-he would rush you to another, surprising, even better place. It taught me things I didn't know and brought out emotions that have been dormant a while. A stimulating,informative masterpiece.


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Details

Country:

France | Israel | Belgium | Italy

Language:

Hebrew | French | Amharic

Release Date:

30 March 2005 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

Live and Become See more »

Filming Locations:

Ethiopia See more »

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Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,691,534
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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