Lamb

Set in gorgeous green highlands of Ethiopia, the drama tells a story about loss, childhood, social isolation and family. A realistic in its depiction, but emotional in the delivery of its story, Lamb goes deep into its main character's position and psychology. The film is rich both in its visual setting and music and beautiful to look at.

Fitting into the 'slice of life' sub-genre that seems to be so popular in some festivals and for some Western public, "Lamb" doesn't stray far away of the 'movie from little known place that tells you how poor and difficult they have it in their everyday life'. Does that mean that it is a bad movie or that it does a bad job in doing it? No, but it has zero originality and follows too closely the 'unknown-culture- stereotypes' rule-book.

Ephraïm's mother has died, and his father leaves him with some relatives. With him he basically takes the clothes he is wearing and Chuni, his lamb, that was his mother's. Will Ephraïm be able to keep Chuni alive, or will she end up roasted?

"Lamb" is at its best in the moments when it takes the story with a little bit of humor and centers on Ephraïm's efforts to keep the lamb alive. But when it follows the 'explaining-the-culture-to-all-those- white-people-in-front-of-the-screen' moments it just can't keep the level. From the music to all those meetings of people where they talk about the past or the country's culture it reeks too much of being a movie being made with the foreign-rich market in mind.

Too bad, because the lamb's story is one that could have been way more interesting.

I found Lamb to be delightful. Be willing to read subtitles, unless you speak Amharic. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Ethiopia which was once a very dry land. I highly recommend watching Ethiopia Rising also which documents how God blessed the people of Ethiopia to make their agriculture viable and rich after the people kept cutting down trees.

Beginning such as a pastoral story with nice landscapes, mountain view, plain and forest, it's actuall story of Ephraim and his beloved lamb. The movie portrays the innocence of a child, also traditions, hunger, difficult life conditions and a little bit of hope. It makes you feel that Ethiophia, a far away land, is not that distant in fact. It also contains lots of information about Ethiophian culture; their interesting belief mixture for example. As a multi-religious country, they have customs and superstitions similar to those of Muslims, they do prey like Muslims, are blessed with pilgrimage, they as well commomorate Jesus, or have some Buddhists customs. Liked the tiny houses they live in. Among the main characters you see both a grandmother living like Dalai Lama and as well a older sister, being far away from religion, rather secular and believer of positive science, fleeing from her village to live in city. Pretty fun to watch.

It's I believe the first Ethiophian movie to attract the attention of Cannes and The Academy (was Oscar Nominee) when it was released. Really good effort that this movie was able to cross the borders and got known worldwide, which is always nice to see countries display their cultural elements with movies etc. And enlightens our minds a bit making us curious about what we might miss a bit far away from our surroundings.

Its hard to explain but i won't forget it.

It not as quite entertaining as Au Hazard Balthazar. Completely differnt meaning, but unforgetable and similarly profound ending but more subtle.

I dont know how it releates to "The Old Man and the Sea" but that fact that another reviewer mention that is quite a attribute to the film. For me, the ending did it for me. It hard to watch some art films, some people just can't because there want instant gratification nowadays. But i alwasy get to the end if i see the hints that i should go into a trance, and absorb the film, and im alwasy grateful and remember it for life.

Music brings us all together.