From the very first moment of Chris Shimojima's ALBERTO AND THE CONCRETE JUNGLE, I was riveted by a specificity in filmmaking that takes my breath away. With each character introduced, it captures an entire world residing within -- ominous, fascinating and hilarious and it's clear that with Alberto, adventure is inevitable. Throughout the film, his intoxicating perspecitve of "outsider," that everyone tries to batten down, has that stratospheric perspective, as if the camera were at an angle not quite reachable, not even quite findable by anyone else -- but nonetheless, pure intoxication. Intoxication within the limitless possibilities of New York City, what we can find ON THE SUBWAY, in the boroughs, with subversively thrilling spontaneous encounters that inform our whole life. There's just an obsessive wrestling with life -- inevitably knowing that in a moment everyone will be flying into uncharted territory -- that Alberto gives us the Courage to do. He's a Nomad. And life is intrinsically illuminated by people who have the audactiy to be a Nomad!
