Based on a novel by Anne Holm, I Am David is a film which testifies to the resilience of the human spirit and captures the uncertainty of a 12-year-old thrown into world full of new adventures, some pleasant and some not so.
Film
I AmDavid
Director
Paul Feig (Emmynominated creator of TV drama series Freaks and Geeks )
Cast
Two-time Golden Globe winner Joan Plowright (Enchanted April ), seasoned actor Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ ) and newcomer Ben Tibber
DVD release date
2007
Running time
88 minutes
The story unfolds as David (Ben Tibber) is snatched from his mother in a prison camp in Bulgaria and goes on to witness atrocities which are so inhuman that throughout the movie he appears shell-shocked. While at the camp he is befriended by a fellow inmate, Johannes (Jim Caviezel), who takes him under his wing and is the chief architect in the boy's eventual escape.
David manages to sneak aboard a ship bound for Italy. There, he find work at a bakery, but when questions are asked about his identity, he makes a quick exit. Hitching rides, he chances upon a burning cabin from which he rescues a girl. Her parents are so grateful they take him into their lives and their home. He feels secure for a while, but when his hosts start making enquiries about his past, fear overwhelms him and he runs away again.
Later, he has a chance encounter with Sophie (Joan Plowright), an artist going through personal tragedy herself, who offers him unconditional friendship and assistance. She wins his trust to a certain extent. Eager to paint his picture, she is curious about the sadness always present in his eyes. That haunts her, but she treads carefully so as not to threaten him in any way. David's odyssey leads him to a discovery of the real meaning of courage, trust, laughter and hope and, eventually, to a safe sanctuary in Denmark, thanks to help from an unexpected quarter.
With the events of this movie, we are once again reminded of the Holocaust. So many personal accounts have been written about this dark period, often motivated by a desire to ensure that history does not repeat itself. As we read story after story from survivors, or the testimonies of those whose loved ones never lived to tell the tale, we find that the wounds inflicted on souls and minds are still fresh. While these victims and witnesses have made a decision to move on with their lives, they often find it impossible to put those harrowing experiences behind them. Time, it is often said, heals all wounds, but does it really?
The film is available at DVD stores and can also be purchased online.
