Hit the Road (2021)
Hit the Road (2021)
(Jaddeh Khaki, Panah Panahi, Iran 2021, 93 min., DCP, Persian w/subtitles)
A family—father, mother, adult son, and six-year-old—drive across the Iranian flats, their destination unknown. There is a feeling that something is coming to an end as the older son remains quiet while the parents attempt to distract the boy and care for the sick dog they can’t seem to part with. Both funny and touching, this family adventure will change all of their lives forever and provide a distinct mirror of our times. Panah Panahi, son and collaborator of embattled filmmaker Jafar Panahi and apprentice to Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami, makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama. Hit the Road takes the tradition of the Iranian road-trip movie and adds unexpected twists and turns. Unspoken tensions arise and the film builds emotional momentum as it slowly reveals the furtive purpose for their journey. The result is a humanist drama that offers an authentic, often comedic, and deeply sincere observation of an Iranian family preparing to part with one of their own.