My expectations for this were high enough after watching his previous works and I was so hyped for the new Khalik Allah and it's been a great experience to witness something like this in this dreadful year. I had a predefined mindset after watching the trailer, it was clear that Khalik again centered his film in his Favourite East Harlem. It works as a tribute to the wanderers, homeless and their journey marked with an effect of different views of life and city. Khallik stages it so beautifully replaced by dialogues and assembled according to a clear artistic concept in everyday places and emotionally charged locations. At the same time, it is a personal work of Khallik who reflects on his path and the internal conflicts within. The deeply moving exchange between Allah and his long time friend Frenchie, a schizophrenic homeless Haitian man is captures brilliantly. It is mixed even more strongly with a great recording which is overwhelming. The small banter with his mom and dad was the highlight for me, when he is called Danny and the dialogues that follow claims my favourite part in the film followed by the sequence with his girlfriend. I was happy to find out that Khallik loves Sun Ra and talks about one of my fav film Space Is the Place (1974).
Final thoughts, this 3hr experimental documentary holds up till the credits roll, it doesn't miss its effect emotionally, spiritually and aesthetically. This is not everybody's cup of tea - arguably more suited to fans of of arthouse, avantgarde and those who love films of Marc Singer (Dark Days), Catarina Vasconcelos (The Metamorphosis of Birds), Thomas Heise (Heimat Is a Space in Time) and Sylvain George (Paris Is a Moveable Feast - A Film in 18 Waves).
Final thoughts, this 3hr experimental documentary holds up till the credits roll, it doesn't miss its effect emotionally, spiritually and aesthetically. This is not everybody's cup of tea - arguably more suited to fans of of arthouse, avantgarde and those who love films of Marc Singer (Dark Days), Catarina Vasconcelos (The Metamorphosis of Birds), Thomas Heise (Heimat Is a Space in Time) and Sylvain George (Paris Is a Moveable Feast - A Film in 18 Waves).
