What do you do when you’re a filmmaker
banned by your government from making
movies? If you’re fearless Iranian director Jafar
Panahi (“This is Not a Film”), the answer is
simple: Keep making movies anyway. Posing as a
taxi driver with hidden cameras mounted on the
dashboard, Panahi navigates the vibrant streets
of Tehran and picks up passengers who spill
their secrets in a series of enthralling vignettes.
Panahi’s guerilla-style docufiction film acts as a
window into the multidimensional landscape of
Iran, highlighting the dark humor, sharp political
criticisms, and tapestry of dreams, fears, and
frustrations carried by the passengers we meet
in Panahi’s cab. The film took home the highest
prize at the Berlin Film Festival with good
reason. “Taxi” is a defiant celebration of artistic
freedom and the power of laughter and personal
expression to combat oppression.