Were Alexandre and the Albanian boy alive?

I'm not sure I understood the film properly but were Alexandre and the Albanian boy really alive? I took it they were in the middle, kind of in purgatory but still seeing bits of their lives. Alexandre didn't go into hospital like he should have done instead died at home and the Albanian boy died on the streets by the police who were chasing them.

The people on the fence was where they actually died probably shot while climbing it to escape; the movement was representing that? They don't get any higher, just move. Same with the bus, the band disappears and the old poet keeps wandering around as if stuck in purgatory.

Alexandre and the boy maybe died at the same time and are scared to move on out of purgatory. After some words of wisdom from the old poet, Alexandre asked how long would tomorrow last. I took that to mean how long can he stay in transition until he gets stuck in purgatory forever. The poet never answered because he is stuck there. The boy decides to leave even though he is scared and goes out via the ship. Alexandre wanders about a little longer and sees his home now derelict. Even with his wife trying to coax him to the other side he remains too frightened to take the final leap.

Or maybe I got it all wrong and it has everything to do with Greek poetry and symbolism and it was all real and he can see dead people.

Can someone who knows explain?