简介：Atnight,thestreetsofHarlemarehauntedbylostsouls.Bodiesthatdriftaroundinthedarknessandbeartheweightofthepastontheirshoulders.TheHaitianmanFrenchieisoneofthem,andhisaccentuatedstutterbearswitnesstoexileandyearsofabuse.ButheismorethanjustthatinKhalikAllah'snew,hypnoticfilmopus,whichturnstheAmericantraditionofsocialrealiststreetphotographyintoitsownartform.KhalikAllahisanimpressivephotographer,andwithFrenchieandtheothercharactersofthestreetsinfrontofhislens,hehascreatedhismostambitiousfilmtodate.Thevariationofformats–8mm,16mmandvideo–remindusnotonlythattheimagesaretheproductofaprocess,butalsothatthedepictedstoryisfragmentedandthatanyunifyingnarrativemustnecessarilycomefromtheprotagoniststhemselves.Thesoundofthevoiceisconsistentlyseparatedfromtheimagesofthebodytowhichthevoicebelongs,nomatterwhoistalking:Allah,hisgirlfriend,hismother,hisfamily,orFrenchiehimself.Allah'sfilmisaspacewemoveinratherthanalinearprogressionthroughtime.Atrance-inducingfilmaboutlove,friendship,religionandtheexperienceofpurpose.…