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
    (4,972 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, 2 hr. 33 min.
Directed By
Radu Mihaileanu
Written By
Radu Mihaileanu, Alain-Michel Blanc
Genres
Art House & International, Drama
In Theaters
Feb 11, 2005 Wide
On DVD
Apr 7, 2009
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.

  • 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.

  • Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

    Both a love story and inspirational tale of an individual finding peace with himself in a hostile environment.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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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