Va, Vis et Deviens (Live and Become) (Go, See, and Become)

Va, Vis et Deviens (Live and Become) (Go, See, and Become) (2005)

  • 86% of critics liked it
    (35 reviews)

  • 93% of users liked it
    (5,046 ratings)

Cultural confusion and the lack of true identity plague a young boy swept away from his mother during a joint American-Israeli rescue mission in director Radu Mihaileanu's fact-based drama. As thousands of displaced Africans crowd into Sudanese refugee camps, American and Israeli troops organize… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Radu Mihaileanu, Alain-Michel Blanc
Genres
Art House & International, Drama
In Theaters
Feb 11, 2005 Wide
Menemsha

Critic Reviews

  • Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

    The bounty of incident is balanced by knowing humor, compelling characters and a dedicated compassion toward those for whom the search for home sends their head, heart and feet flying in all directions.

  • Tom Keogh, Seattle Times

    Don't be put off by the film's length. It's fascinating to see familiar history flash by as a backdrop to the equally compelling account of a life spent in pursuit of totality.

  • Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

    With the secret 1985 airlift of thousands of Ethiopian Jewish refugees into Israel as a historical starting point, writer-director Radu Mihaileanu turns one fictional boy's story into a loaded, didactic drama about survival, adaptation, and identity.

  • Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

    A stirring and uplifting tale of racial and religious assimilation.

  • Stephen Holden, New York Times

    Fundamental issues of ethnic and religious identity and the agony of exile are at the heart of Live and Become.

Read all 18 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Cynthia S


    This movie is about a period in history of which I was unaware. Ethiopians claiming to be Jews were taken in by Israel, but not with the approval of all the Israelis, leading to bitterness, dissension, and overt hostility. This is a very moving story about one young man's journey… More

  • Walter M


    "Live and Become" starts in the 1980's as Ethiopian Jews are allowed to immigrate to Israel but first must complete a hazardous trek to Sudan, and many die along the way. Hana(Mimi Abonesh Kebede) survives to make it to a refugee camp, host to a mixture of religions,… More

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