The title of A Stray, a sharply observed and gracefully filmed drama written and directed by Musa Syeed, refers to its teenage protagonist, Adan, a refugee living in Minneapolis’s large Somali community, as well as his canine co-star, Laila, a soulful terrier he reluctantly befriends. Visually, the film is both naturalistic and artful, featuring beautifully framed scenes shot throughout the city.  A Stray seems to be a bittersweet valentine to Minneapolis, whose buildings, bridges, and landmarks (such as the iconic Pillsbury Best Flour sign) are featured prominently. In addition to its glimpses into Somali culture and the day-to-day lives of this particular refugee community, the film has a strong undercurrent of spirituality, with several scenes taking place in a mosque, and various prayers discussed and recited.

The story concerns the headstrong Adan (Barkhad Abdirahman, one of the pirates in Captain Phillips), who is thrown out of his mother’s place after she suspects him of stealing jewelry, then flees a temporary crash pad after getting on the nerves of his disreputable friends. Adan initially finds sanctuary in a mosque where a kindly imam lets him stay in exchange for cleaning up the place. Adan asks for advice and a prayer to help him stay out of trouble.

He finds work at a restaurant through Faisal, one of the mosque’s congregants, but loses the job when his car hits a dog en route to a food delivery. (The zealous Faisal is horrified when Adan brings the pooch back to the mosque, as dogs are traditionally considered impure in Muslim culture.)  The local shelter is closed for the night, so Adan is stuck with the animal, the beginning of their thorny relationship. It’s anything but the typical boy’s-best-friend scenario, complicated by Adan’s religious beliefs and the cold reality that he himself doesn’t have a home or money, let alone resources for a pet. He tries not to touch Laila, but can’t bring himself to abandon her either, spending much of the movie fruitlessly attempting to find her a home.

Traversing the city in search of shelter and work with dog in tow, he meets with an FBI agent who gives him money and promises a new phone as well as an apartment in exchange for information about his acquaintances’ ties to Somalia. Adan drops in on his little brother at their mother’s apartment, visits an old girlfriend at a college dorm, and goes to a community center, where a young female volunteer befriends him. At one point he tries to bed down at the Somali Museum of Minnesota, and checks out the Nomad World Pub, among other locales, adding to the film’s travelogue vibe. When Adan stays with a group of homeless American Indians one night, an interesting conversation ensues about his right to be in the U.S., compared with theirs. Under Syeed’s direction, we see beauty in even the most desolate parts of the city.

Adan finally makes an important decision about what he must sacrifice for a place to call his own. He returns to the mosque and defends himself against Faisal’s accusations. The wise imam–clearly a good guy who sees the good in Adan–tells a parable about a man who lets a thirsty dog drink and is granted heaven. Things begin to look up for Adan, who, though a stray himself, finally believes that he is home.

Though rambling and directionless at times, A Stray is poignant and evocative, buoyed by Abdirahman’s natural portrayal of a struggling young soul looking for solid ground. It also affords a (rare) illustration of religion practiced fairly and compassionately. Also, and not least, the film shows the invaluable bonds that humans form with animals, and how we can learn about ourselves through them.

A Stray opens at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP (20 John St., Brooklyn) on Friday, October 21, part of IFP Screen Forward Presents series.

—Marina Zogbi