A Stray (2016)

Unfortunately, I can’t send you out to see A Stray, since it doesn’t have a distributor yet (I had the good luck to see it at a film festival,) but I wanted to talk about it anyway.  It’s shot in my old stomping grounds, Minnesota’s Twin Cities, and it’s steeped in the culture of the Somali community there, and though I’m no longer in the Cities, I still live somewhere with a large Somali community and see that culture daily.  This familiarity made it extra-enjoyable for me, but it’s also a beautifully-made film with an intimate, engaging story and wonderful themes.

Adan, a young Somali refugee living in Minneapolis, is living at odds with himself.  He’s not currently welcome at home and has recently fallen out with his roommates; suddenly homeless, he takes shelter in the local mosque, where he discusses his troubles with the imam, his desire to be a good Muslim, and his struggle of continually sliding into temptation.  The imam is compassionate and offers help to Adan, but just as things start looking up, Adan’s life is turned upside-down when, driving, he has a run-in with a stray dog.  Although the dog isn’t hurt, there’s nowhere for her to go, and being saddled with her puts Adan through a lot of upheaval (for those who don’t know, dogs are considered unclean in Somali culture.)  Adan’s association with his unwanted new friend makes it hard for him to find anyone in his community to extend a hand to him, but he can’t bring himself to outright abandon the dog either.  So, he begrudgingly hauls her through the city in search of somewhere safe and welcoming for the both of them.

The Minnesotan in me adores all the gorgeous shots of Minneapolis, and I love the low-key, lived-in feel of depicting the neighborhood.  It’s not a hand-holding “This is what Somali community is like in Minnesota!” vibe in the least; rather, the film drops you into the culture, trusts that you can keep up, and just shows people living their lives.  The story takes its time but doesn’t drag (it reminded me a bit of Tom McCarthy’s work,) following Adan and his furry charge through a few days of their wanderings and his attempts to get on a good path.  The lovely cinematography and atmospheric music contribute to the film’s intimate feel, and the actors (mainly Minnesota actors without much film work, or in some cases non-actors – the imam is played by the actual imam of a Twin Cities mosque) all turn in good work.  Barkhad Abdiraham, who had a supporting role in Captain Phillips, plays Adan with subtlety, humor, and grace.

I love how Islam is presented, very respectfully/responsibly.  What’s more, religion is an organic part of the film that weaves deftly through the characters’ lives in assorted ways.  I’m not sure I’ve even seen religion handled so well in a movie – anyreligion, let alone Islam, which is among the worst-represented in Hollywood.  Adan loves God and wants to serve Him, but he feels out of touch and is worried that he can’t make the right choices.  Meanwhile, the imam is caring, devout, nonjudgmental, and pragmatic, all at once.  Other characters in the film express their faith in casual or overt ways.  Rather than using religion as a lazy shorthand to typify the characters, the film uses it to enrich them and make them feel like more complete people.

Warnings

Swearing, brief sexual references, a little drinking/smoking, and thematic elements.