Live and Become (2008)

Synopsis: Based on the exodus of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, LIVE AND BECOME is a harrowing and poignant look at the struggles of cultural and personal identity. In 1985 Operation Moses is launched to airlift... Based on the exodus of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, LIVE AND BECOME is a harrowing and poignant look at the struggles of cultural and personal identity. In 1985 Operation Moses is launched to airlift thousands of persecuted Ethiopian Jews (known as Falashas) from Sudan to Israel. When a Falasha widow's son dies, she smuggles a Christian boy with her to ensure his survival. Guilt-ridden at leaving his real mother behind, the boy--renamed Schlomo--is soon orphaned when his Jewish guardian dies. A smart but rebellious student, Schlomo (played at various ages by Moshe Agazai, Mosche Abebe, and Sirak M. Sabahat) finds a stable home with an adoptive French-Israeli couple (Roschdy Zem and Yaël Abecassis). The secular couple encourages his Jewish faith while defending him against the prejudices of their neighbors and the Israeli state. But Schlomo's deception only deepens when he falls for Sarah (Roni Hader), a white Jew, and must contend with her racist father. When he and Sarah marry years later, Schlomo must come clean about his identity if he is to find his place in the world and fulfill his mother's wish: "Go. Live and become." Director Radu Mihaileanu, a Romanian Jew who fled oppression in his own country, brings compassionate focus to an ambitious story of inner turmoil amidst turbulent times. An audience favorite at numerous international film festivals, LIVE AND BECOME is a timely and thought-provoking look at how hope can overcome any prejudice, and the idea that being true to oneself is the surest path home. [More]

Starring: Yael Abecassis, Roschdy Zem, Mosche Abebe, Sirak M. Sabahat

Starring: Yael Abecassis, Roschdy Zem, Mosche Abebe, Sirak M. Sabahat, Roni Hadar, Meskie Shibru Sivan, Mimi Abonesh Kebede, Rami Danon

Director: Radu Mihaileanu

Director: Radu Mihaileanu
Screenwriter: Radu Mihaileanu, Alain-Michel Blanc
Producer: Denis Carot, Marie Manmonteil, Radu Mihaileanu, Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanni Stabilini, Marco Chimenz, Dominique Janne
Studio: Menemsha

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