| A Stray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Musa Syeed |
| Written by | Musa Syeed |
| Produced by | Jamila Wignot |
| Starring | Barkhad Abdirahman |
| Cinematography | Yoni Brook |
| Edited by | Kamau Bilal Ray Hubley |
Production company | Vilcek Foundation |
Release date |
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Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Somali |
A Stray is a 2016 American drama film starring Barkhad Abdirahman.
A young Somali man named Adan (played by Barkhad Abdirahman) is kicked out of his home and must survive on the streets of his hometown, Minneapolis. He begrudgingly befriends a stray dog, which brings him companionship. However, it also brings Adan further exile from his family, his friends, and his community, as caring for a dog as a pet may be seen as haram for Muslims, especially in Somali culture. The film explores loneliness and belonging with intimate shots of Minneapolis seen through the eyes of a downtrodden Somali immigrant.
The film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Omer M. Mozaffar of RogerEbert.com awarded the film four stars. Chris Hewitt of the St. Paul Pioneer Press awarded it three and a half stars. Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film three and a half stars out of four.
However, the film received a negative review from Thaddeus McCollum and Cameron Meier of Orlando Weekly; they awarded the film one and a half stars out of five.