Adhemar Ahmad’s life’s work is Hannibal Barca, a gorgeously imaginative illustrated book that is on the verge of getting published. As he waits for its release, Ahmad ekes out a life on New York City’s streets as a bookseller and artist, spending his days rolling a pushcart, playing chess, and talking to passersby. Filmmaker Ian Phillips documents Ahmad in two stages, first in 2006 and then in 2012. As the years go by, Ahmad’s backbreaking daily routine develops a Sisyphean symbolism. Time and hard luck take a toll, but Ahmad’s characteristic patience and bravado persist, leading to our outrage on his behalf against the would-be publisher of his magnum opus.  NK