Va, vis et deviens

 Va, vis, deviens 2005

• Director: Radu Mihaileaunu
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Yaël Abicassis, Roschdy Zem, Moshe Agazai, Moshe Abebe, Sirak M Sabahat, Yitzhak Edgar, Roni Hadar, Rami Danon
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Sadly, none of them. The three actors playing Solomon have only been in this film.
• Why? It sounded good.
• Seen: 18 June 2022     

       Solomon, born to a Christian mother in a refugee camp, is smuggled into a convoy of Ethiopian Jews being transported to Jerusalem. Solomon is devastated. He is adopted by a French family, émigrés in Israel, and they give him a good life. He grows up struggling with his memories and his confused identity.

       We see glimpses of the complexity of Israeli politics and society, although unfortunately too little of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. It’s a bit too long and the drama has a tendency to slide into melodrama but the three actors, Agazi, Abebe and Sabahat, playing Solomon are tremendous. It’s an unusual and gripping film. 

4* of 5