Monday, July 13, 2009

Live and Become




The Ethiopian Falashas were recognized as Jews by Israel in the early 80s. The Mossad comes with a plan of subversively getting them to Israel through Sudan. The trek from Ethiopia to Sudan and the life in the refugee camps kills thousands. Soon the camp welcomes not just Jews but the thousands trying to escape Ethiopia. But it is only the Falashas that can proceed to Israel under the Law of Return.

As a Christian mother watches dying children around her, she pushes her son into the arms of a Falasha women who has just lost her boy. Soon he becomes Schlomo and finds himself in a bewildering world whose customs are alien to him. The film tries compress the next couple of decades in the boys life as he tries live a lie with his adopted Jewish family. A movie that should have ended five minutes sooner or even better, made into a slower and evenly paced mini-series.

Rating: * * +

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