QUICK AND DIRTY: LIVE FROM MALTA
Where there is happiness, sadness is sure to follow. A homeless man spends his mornings wandering the streets, and his nights performing covers of Lithuanian-American singer and comedian Al Jolson’s songs to wealthy pundits. Nattily dressed in a top hat, he takes these clothes off for a shabbier set of robes whenever he isn’t playing music. But no matter how downbeat his life is, the homeless character finds time to laugh at life’s idiosyncracies. More of a character study than a full-blown plot, Footlights showcases a development in the protagonist’s personal milieu. Ibrahim Musah Idana has to carry the whole thing on his own: yes, there are audience members, but Idana’s hero is the lead in every frame, shot and location. The success of the work mostly lies on this man.
And he is wonderful, a cocktail of mirthful smiles and agitated side glances; in layman’s terms, a human being. Coming across a postcard that changes “big” to “pig”, as there is a pig beside the note, the eponymous person can do nothing but giggle at this little irony. On this solid surface, creatures of all shapes and sizes congregate, surveying the terrain for prey, predators and parties. How very different his surroundings are by evening time, where he produces the works of Al Jolson to a parade of supper club viewers, cheerfully engaging with the puppet. His street setting might be dangerous, but at least it treats him with a modicum of respect. There, he’s just one of the many mammals that walks the place, seeking a safe place to rest for a time until the sunlight wakes them up once more.
Writer and director Chris Zarb establishes the two different realities early on. There are close ups of audience members drinking martinis and eating peanuts, while the beggar has to carry his tuxedo on his back. It’s literally like something out of Karl Marx or George Orwell, exhibiting a world where workers have to fend for their safety whenever their shifts end. Sadly, this is a reality that is all too common for people across the world, but neither Zarb nor Idana let the dourness wash over the proceedings. When the singer sings, he summons notes from the bottom of his gut, and when he sleeps, he makes sure he’s warm enough to slumber effectively.
Jolson was a singer who used to perform in blackface, like he did in The Jazz Singer (Alan Crosland, 1927), so the concept of using a black actor to re-produce I’m Sitting On Top of the World is a pointed one. In that sense, this homeless man has to degrade himself even further, by kowtowing to a minstrel act that the 21st century should have binned for its offensive depiction of African Americans. The lyric “I’ve only got one suit” nevertheless fits the singer’s life, as he only has this tuxedo to wear for formal occasions.
Footlights has the makings of a longer feature, but what is shown here works within the timeframe. There is a natural progression in spiritual development, and by the final frame, viewers walk away comforted that this lead will be fine whatever road he takes. Some journeys are tougher than others, but it’s always better to voyage one on your terms rather than the ones you’re mocked for. A person is always a person, whether they sleep on the streets or in a comfy bed.
Footlights shows in the 3rd Mediterrane International Film Festival, in Malta.
