*UPDATED* SXSW - Film Review of A Stray, Including Interviews and Trailer

UPDATE: Tues 9/27/16 –

“A STRAY” OFFICIAL SELECTION: SXSW 2016, BAM CINEMAFEST AND MANY MORE.

OPENING THEATRICALLY IN NEW YORK ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 (IFP MEDIA CENTER)

FOR A FULL ONE WEEK RUN AS A PART OF THE IFP Screen Forward Screening Series

SYNOPSIS: In Minneapolis’ large Somali refugee community, Adan (Barkhad Abdirahman) has nowhere to go. His mom kicked him out, and his friends are tired of his headstrong ways. As a last resort, he moves into the mosque, praying for a little help. Surprisingly, God seems to answer. Adan quickly lands a good job, devout friends, and a newfound faith. When Adan nearly hits a stray dog on the job, he’s forced to take it in for a night. But one of his new mosque friends considers the dog impure, and he throws Adan out. With Adan back on the streets, surrounded by his old crew, ex-girlfriends, prying FBI agents, and his estranged family, the dog may be his only friend as he tries to keep his faith and get through the night.

While at SXSW, I attended a film directed by Musa Syeed called A Stray. Shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, A Stray tells the story of Adan (Barkhad Abdirahman), a Somali man struggling to keep his life together in Minneapolis. Along the way, an encounter with a stray dog (Ayla) changes Adan’s life.

An estimated 25,000 Somalis live in Minnesota, especially the Twin Cities, which has the largest population of Somalis in the United States. I also live in Minnesota in St. Cloud, which has experienced a dramatic rise in the Somali population in the last few years. This has led to some tension between the various demographics of the community.

I approached the film with no knowledge of the story other than it was about a Somalian man living in Minneapolis. Despite growing up a few miles from where many scenes were filmed, I wasn’t sure how a film about Somali life would resonate with me.

Faysal Ahmed, Barkhad Abdirahman and director

Faysal Ahmed, Barkhad Abdirahman and Musa Syeed

As A Stay begins, the audience gets a look into Adan’s Muslim life. While many of the scenes take place in familiar locations, I initially struggled to grasp what was happening because I am not accustomed to the Somali culture and religious beliefs. This isn’t a bad thing; I simply wished I had more knowledge to better appreciate what I was watching.

As the film progressed, I was amazed when the story started connecting with me. It wasn’t long before A Stray became a human interest story rather than a Somali story. Barkhad’s performance is outstanding, especially when Adan struggles with what to do with his life, not to mention the dog. I was surprised to learn Ayla isn’t a trained Hollywood dog, which, according to Syeed, at times led to difficulties during the filming when squirrels would crash the set.

While a story about a man and his dog is nothing new, in the case of A Stray, I learned many Muslims view dogs as impure and dirty. Over the course of the film, a natural evolution occurs that is entertaining to watch as Adan tries to deal with Ayla, and you sense the two forming a real connection.

A Stray is a beautifully directed and heartfelt story that transcends race and religion. To say it is simply a Somali or Muslim story diminishes the wonderful story Syeed has created. At the same time, the film provides a unique look at the Somali community, which is something rarely seen. Adding to A Stray’s authenticity is the fact that it was shot in the same neighborhood where Barkhad and Faysal Ahmed, who is also in the film, grew up.

Ayla checking out the SXSW audience.

Initially, I wasn’t sure a Somali-themed film could play well outside heavily populated Somali areas. But A Stray is a human story that should resonate no matter where you come from. Frankly, given the recent tension aimed at the Somali community here in St. Cloud, the film could be a tool to help bring both sides together by providing a better understanding of the culture. If I were to officially rate A Stray, I would give it four out of five stars.

Following the screening, I sat down with Barkhad Abdirahman and Faysal Ahmed to talk about the film. The hotel breakfast area provided less than ideal circumstances; unfortunately, the audio is difficult to understand at times.

I also recorded a second interview where Barkhad and Faysal answered in their native language. I felt it was important given the theme of the film to be able to comment on it in a way the Somali community would appreciate. Again, at times the audio is difficult to hear with all the commotion going on around us.

A Stray is being shown at a few film festivals but doesn’t have an official release date as of yet.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.