Another title in the Centrepiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival, this little hidden gem was one of my favourites that I saw at TIFF 2024. Sometimes I call this as part of my own “Throw A Dart & See a Random Movie” series where I go in knowing nothing about what I am about to see.
The TIFF Lowdown: Issa, a young undocumented immigrant, is fired from his small job at the market that allows him to get by. Thanks to his best friend Mario, who lends him his phone and identity, he starts working as a rider. But this new precarious balance collapses when his bike’s stolen on his first day. Desperate, Issa begins a very long Sunday searching for his bike, spiraling into a dramatic vortex of events.
Reaction: A very slow but involving burn of a story, ANYWHERE ANYTIME feels all too real and reminds me of the TIFF entry HER JOB from a few years ago where we feel like we are dropping right into someone’s day-to-day process of trying to find work and a place in the world. When things get out of control, it reminded me of when just one thing that can happen that can make everything change around you and the process of adapting. Even though the movie feels very low budget, there’s so much cinematic joy here and one particular shot reminded me of the famous “camera pan in the hallway” shot to TAXI DRIVER. I don’t know if the filmmaker intended this, but it’s something that I noticed in a movie full of delightful little images.
This is a much smaller movie at TIFF and I feel like many people won’t take a chance on smaller foreign indies, but I really admired what filmmaker Miad Tangshir did here with the material. I’m very unsure too what the theatrical release would look like for this in the world, so I am hoping it enjoys more plays at festivals to get more attention. Really recommend this one!
Thanks to TIFF Media for assistance with this reaction article. This is one of the many movies playing at TIFF this year. For more information, point your browser to www.tiff.net!