Live and Become This is an amazing, epic, and even edifying film. It explores issues of identity, culture, religion and abandonment. These issues are cleverly intertwined with a romantic subplot and beautiful cinematography, making the result enjoyable and palatable. It starts in Ethiopia and then there are references back using imagery at significant moments which one can identify with if one knows anything about Africa. Three different actors play the part of Schlomo to show different stages of his life – as a nine year old, a young teenager and then a young adult. Schlomo shows resilience and determination in his circumstances and sometimes needs to express his opinions – he gets the opportunity to speak but also takes action when words won’t suffice. Schlomo’s real mother sends him off to a new life with another ‘mother’, then he also has to cope with having adoptive parents. He is convinced that he will eventually meet his real mother again. The end maybe slightly unrealistic but is nevertheless uplifting. Review by Anne and Esther Wanjie