Jafar Panahi's Taxi

(Jafar Panahi, Iran 2015, 82 min., DCP, Farsi w/subtitles)

Internationally acclaimed director Jafar Panahi (This Is Not a Film) drives a yellow cab through the vibrant streets of Tehran, picking up a diverse (and representative) group of passengers in a single day. Each man, woman, and child candidly expresses his or her own view of the world, while being interviewed by the curious and gracious driver/director. Panahi’s camera, placed on the dashboard of his mobile film studio, captures a spirited slice of Iranian society while also brilliantly redefining the borders of comedy, drama, and cinema. Winner of the Golden Bear for best film at 2015 Berlin Film Festival.

“I’m a filmmaker. I can’t do anything else but make films. Cinema is my expression and the meaning of my life. Nothing can prevent me from making films. Because when I’m pushed into the furthest corners I connect with my inner self. And in such private spaces, despite all limitations, the necessity to create becomes even more of an urge. Cinema as an art becomes my main preoccupation. That is the reason why I have to continue making films under any circumstances to pay my respects and feel alive.” – Jafar Panahi