Two and a half days in the life of Allie Parker, a boy who has not graduated from school, works, has no home, and who says of himself: “I’m kind of a tourist … a tourist on a permanent vacation.” The place he “visits” during his endless wanderings is New York, and more precisely its “dodgy”, peripheral, degraded neighbourhoods. On his way, Allie meets madmen, maniacs and outsiders. He has short conversations with them, does small business and goes on. He tells his girlfriend that there are two reasons for these city trips: insomnia and the desire to escape from loneliness.

Jim Jarmusch’s film is a portrait of the post-punk generation. Allie doesn’t rebel, but keeps her distance; does not engage, but observes. Tom DiCillo’s camera and the protagonist keep moving forward, never turning back, never registering the same place or character twice. Jarmusch starred as Chris Parker, then 16, and a member of the upscale punk club CB GB. On the screen he is accompanied by legends of the New York underground: Eric Mitchell, Sara Driver and John Lurie.