| Live and Become | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Radu Mihaileanu |
| Written by | Alain-Michel Blanc Radu Mihaileanu |
| Produced by | Denis Carot Marie Masmonteil Radu Mihaileanu Marek Rozenbaum Itai Tamir |
| Starring | Mekonet Ageza Moshe Abebe Sirak M. Sabahat Yael Abecassis Roschdy Zem Roni Hadar Rami Danon Raymonde Abecassis Mimi Abonesh Kebede Meskie Shibru-Sivan Hadar |
| Narrated by | Patrick Descamps |
| Cinematography | Rémy Chevrin |
| Edited by | Ludo Troch |
| Music by | Armand Amar |
| Distributed by | Les Films du Losange |
Release dates |
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Running time | 140 minutes |
| Countries | France Israel[1] |
| Languages | French Amharic Hebrew |
| Budget | €5.3 million[2] |
| Box office | $3.7 million[3] |
Live and Become (French: Va, vis et deviens) is a 2005 French drama film about an Ethiopian Christian boy who disguises himself as an Ethiopian Jew to escape famine and emigrates to Israel. It was directed by Romanian-born Radu Mihăileanu. It won awards at the Berlin and Vancouver film festivals among others.
Schlomo, an Ethiopian boy, is placed by his Christian mother with an Ethiopian Jewish woman whose child has died. This woman, who will become his adoptive mother, is about to be airlifted from a Sudanese refugee camp to Israel during Operation Moses in 1984. His birth mother, who hopes for a better life for him, tells him "Go, live, and become," as he leaves her to get on the bus. The film tells of his growing up in Israel and how he deals with the secrets he carries: not being Jewish and having left his birth mother.
| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin International Film Festival | Panorama Audience Award (feature film) | Won | |
| Europa Cinemas Label | Won | ||
| Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (Panorama) | Won | ||
| César Awards | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Radu Mihaileanu | Nominated | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Alain-Michel Blanc and Radu Mihaileanu | Won | |
| Best Original Music | Armand Amar | Nominated | |
| Copenhagen International Film Festival | Best Film | Won | |
| Best Script | Alain-Michel Blanc and Radu Mihaileanu | Won | |
| Cinemania (film festival) | Prix du public | Won | |
| Globes de Cristal Award | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Lumières Awards | World Audience Award | Won | |
| Toronto International Film Festival | People's Choice Award | Runner-up | |
| Vancouver International Film Festival | Audience Award (international film) | Won |
Audience Awards unless otherwise noted
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Films directed by Radu Mihăileanu
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