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| Press Oakland Tribune www.oaklandtribune.com April 19, 2005 One bright Bulb Life as an 'outsider' brings attention to documentary's narrator, subject By John Geluardi Seldom do people discern Eloquence under a threadbare cloak — Juvenal ROBERT "Rabbit" Barringer rarely misses an opportunity to discourage people from using the term "homeless" when talking about the fellowship of people who make their home on the wildlands of the Albany landfill. "I never use the word 'homeless,'" he says. "We're 'bums,' or 'tramps,' or 'outsiders' and it's part of my job to help people understand the difference." Rabbit, 53, sits near a metal sculpture called "Icarus" in a deep, circular hollow on the landfill known as "the amphitheater." He speaks about his life in the margins of society, the seven years he's spent on the landfill and the attention he's received from his role in the award-winning documentary "Bums' Paradise." The film profiles a community of about 30 seasoned transients who lived on the landfill until 1999 when they were evicted from their tents and ramshackle dwellings by the city of Albany. Only a handful of people, including Rabbit, make their home there now. Rabbit, who hasn't been employed since losing his caretaker job in 1997, wears a Hawaiian shirt with "beach comber" repeated in the print pattern. He's handsome, though grizzled from years of alcohol abuse and outdoor living. He has quick intelligent eyes and a friendly manner. Besides being a central figure in "Bums' Paradise," Rabbit also narrates the film and shot some of its footage. Sometimes called the "Sage of the Landfill," or "The Custodian," he is well-read and well-spoken. Oakland filmmaker Tomas McCabe, who directed "Bums' Paradise" with Andrei Rozen, a Russian-born filmmaker, says Rabbit was the obvious choice to narrate the film. McCabe first met Rabbit while he was exploring the landfill, known around the Bay Area as The Bulb, in 1999. "I had read a newspaper article about a homeless community that was going to be evicted, and I thought I'd check it out," McCabe says. "I met Rabbit while I was admiring the outdoor artwork, and we hung out for a couple hours kicking around the idea of making a documentary. Three days later we were out there with cameras." The film profiles many of The Bulb's residents, nearly all who struggle with mental illness, alcoholism and drug abuse. There's "The Architect" Mad Mark, who designed a two-story, concrete castle, complete with parapets and a spiral staircase. He worked on the structure at night amid ramblings about spaceships and mysterious gasses that affect the minds of his neighbors. Other characters include resident painter Sparky, who signs all his work as "Picasso" and poet laureate James "Jimbow the Hobo" Bailey, who immortalized life on The Bulb in rough verse. Rabbit is a skilled mythmaker. When he speaks about the landfill's social structure, he seamlessly weaves in literary references — and sometimes romanticized — fellowships of the disenfranchised such as Victor Hugo's "Court of Miracles," John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" and Jack London's "The Road." He says, "I've always been fascinated with 'the outsider' or the 'alienated man. They're a kind of American hero, living by their own codes, resourceful and self-reliant." Rabbit still lives on the landfill, which juts about a mile out into San Francisco Bay. Though the area is under the care of East Bay Regional Parks,
"Bums' Paradise" is being shown at 8 p.m. Saturday at Oaklandish, 411 Second St., Oakland. Tomas McCabe and Rabbit will answer questions after the screening. Tickets are $5. For information, call (510) 655-1965 or visit www.bumsparadise.com.
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