I Am David (film)

Plot

Seven years after World War II, a 12-year-old boy named David (Ben Tibber) escapes a Stalinist labor camp in Bulgaria where he has spent his entire life. He sets out on a risky journey to Denmark, initially believing he is on an important mission to deliver a letter, but eventually discovering that the "mission" was to reunite him with his mother, of whom he has distinct memories. Along his journey, he faces danger, fear, loneliness, hunger, and encounters various people.

Johannes (Jim Caviezel), his friend and mentor in the camp, who prepares him for escape, is killed by a guard, leaving David to face escape on his own. David is helped by a guard to escape, who gives him a compass and tells him he must go southwest to Greece, take a boat to Italy and finally go north to Denmark, a peaceful and neutral country. Since David was locked in a camp all his life, he has repressed feelings and trusts no one, and so feels lost and disoriented in the world.

Along his journey, though he is mistreated by some people, he is well-treated by others. Gradually he learns that some people can be trusted, and to open up and experience his own feelings. Finally, with the help of decent people whom he has learned to trust, David is reunited with his mother in Denmark.

Cast

Reception

The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Based on 34 reviews collected by the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 38% of critics gave I Am David a positive review, with an average rating of 5.2/10. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "I couldn't believe a moment of it, and never identified with little David."

The film grossed $288,552 domestically in 226 theaters. In the rest of the world, the film grossed $3,824.

Awards

The film won several awards in 2003, including the Crystal Heart Award in the Heartland Film Festival, the Queens Festival's Best Feature Film prize, and Best Film and Most Promising Actor for Ben Tibber. Ben Tibber never acted in a feature film again.