We’ve all experienced times when life has kicked us when we were down. It could be as simple as getting sick before a big event or your car breaking down when you are already living check to check. Meet Issa (Ibrahima Sambou), a young undocumented immigrant trying to make a life for himself in Turin, Italy.
Although he resides in the city alone, he works hard to support his family by sending money back home. With his living situation and finances already not ideal, he gets his first devastating blow when he is fired from his job when his boss fears being fined by police (within four minutes of the film starting — right to the point, no filler). Down on his luck, he reaches out for help from a friend (Moussa Dicko Diango), who lends him money for a bike. Also, the friend lends him his phone and identity to work as a delivery driver, thus turning the bike into a means of transportation and a lifeline to earning a living.
He receives his second setback when his bicycle is stolen as he drops off a delivery. Issa then searches the city high and low trying to track down his property, as he doesn’t have the funds to purchase another. He can’t seem to catch a break as we see him get closer and closer to retrieving what’s his, thus creating a sense of frustration.
Anywhere Anytime is an ode to Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 classic Bicycle Thieves with a similar plot, but remaining modern with the food delivery methods we use today. Director Milad Tangshir delivers a meaningful tale of being down and out but refusing to give up in his fiction feature directorial debut. What stands out most is that, if you remove the dialogue from the film, the rawness of what’s unfolding on screen can still be felt. Through Issa’s eyes, you can see the pain he feels as he is trying to do the simplest thing of all: survive everyday life.
While something as small as a bike may seem to the average person, Anywhere Anytime uses it as a metaphor. It symbolizes a pipeline to making ends meet. We see Issa sleep in a small room the size of a storage unit with two others, further proving his level of poverty. As things unfold one after another, you can’t help but think back to a time when you were down. It may not have been as bad as Issa’s situation, but to you, it may have seemed like the end of the world.
That’s the type of emotion Tangshir evokes from his viewers, further creating a sense of relating to the character. You develop a strong level of anger for the person who stole Issa’s bike because of how important it is to him. He’s an innocent soul who stays out of trouble and supports his family from a distance, yet a petty thief is blocking his good intentions. For a brief moment, Issa meets a fellow migrant (Success Edemakhiota), showing how his unfortunate lack of resources doesn’t stop him from finding happiness and meeting new people. For those few moments between the two, we’re introduced to the beauty despite unfavorable circumstances.
Perhaps the most bold turn in the storyline happens when we see Issa take the “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach as he does something out of character. This is a brilliant choice to include in the film as it depicts the intrusive thoughts one might have when you’re at rock bottom. Anywhere Anytime also touches on racism, as slurs are spewed at Issa when he tries to retrieve his bike from the thief. This was a profound choice to include in the film, reminding folks that the color of your skin can still rile up others with suppressed hatred, even in other countries. While we are making progress, we have a long way to go, and the inclusion of this in a film shot in Italy proves that. Another aspect that stood out was Issa’s inability to get justice for being wronged. He didn’t seek help from police or anyone else for that matter, leading one to believe the system may not have been on his side had he tried.
Anywhere Anytime is an audacious story that encompasses the reality of losing the little that you have. It’s a film with a deeper message than what transpires on screen, even going as far as leaving the viewer with a sense of appreciation and gratitude long after the movie ends. Tangshir’s modern twist of Bicycle Thieves is just as powerful as the original 76 years later. It’s a subtle reminder that everyone’s story is different and to remain optimistic, as better days are soon ahead.
Anywhere Anytime made its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.