The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul and the Capri Theater present Lamb, directed by Ethiopian filmmaker Yared Zeleke, at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 2. Tickets to First Thursday Films @ the Capri are $5; purchase in advance at mspfilm.org or at the door the night of the show. The Capri is located at 2027 West Broadway.
Lamb tells the story of a 9-year old boy, Ephraim, who, after the death of his mother, is taken from his drought-stricken village to live with distant relatives. His beloved pet lamb, Chuni, is by his side throughout this transition and subsequent troubles – and when Ephraim learns that an upcoming holiday spells danger for Chuni, he takes flight to magical mountains and forbidden forests.
“It’s a coming-of-age story, a mixture between fable and realism,” director Zeleke said. “There is no good and evil, only everything in-between.”
Lamb was the first Ethiopian film ever to play at the Cannes Film Festival, in 2015. Jordan Hoffmann of The Guardian wrote at the time, “Much of Lamb’s run time is spent simply absorbing the culture, and Zeleke has a really sharp eye. Amid the gorgeous landscapes, we watch the family as they farm and celebrate, living a lifestyle far removed from one lived in the West.” Jay Weissberg of Variety added, “Lamb is a delicately satisfying drama…deeply sympathetic to its characters and very much attuned to the landscape around them.”
Come see this beautiful, moving movie and enjoy the conversation afterward led by Craig Rice. These discussions are an important and appealing feature of this film series.
Note that First Thursdays continues with Beasts of the Southern Wild on April 6 followed on May 4 by selected short films from the African Diapsora, chosen from selections that ran during the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival in April.
This screening of Lamb is part of Black Cinema: Under the Skin, a program of films by Black filmmakers exploring Black culture and experiences, funded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul receives additional support for this series from the law firm of Grey Plant Mooty and the Minneapolis Foundation.
All moviegoers are offered a “buy one, get one free” pass to the series through June. Find a full schedule and more info at thecapritheater.org and mspfilm.org.