Taxi

Taxi

What if you're a director but you're no longer allowed to make movies? Change profession and become a taxi driver, for example. Or, no matter what, make a movie behind the wheel of a car, pretending that you really work in a taxi. This is exactly what Jafar Panahi did: he picked up different people in his car during one day. The viewer will travel with him and his passengers through the streets of Tehran. Learning more about Iranians, their lives, worries, joys and sorrows. The picture rethinks the boundaries of comedy, drama and cinema. Read more After the premiere of the film "Taxi" in Berlin, director Jafar Panahi announced that he will continue to shoot despite the ban. As the Iranian said, nothing can stop him from doing what he loves. This is Panakhi's third film after a 20-year ban on filming. All taxi passengers are non-professional actors, their identities remain unknown. The Iranian director removed the end credits to protect them. Jafar Panahi's two previous works "This is not a movie" and "Closed Curtain" were shot in his house, and "Taxi" - on the streets of the capital of Iran, where the camera did not leave the interior of the car. In order not to attract too much attention, the director had to use only natural lighting. He opened the sunroof of the car to get enough light during filming. In addition, not being able to use the technical team in the cabin, Jafar Panahi had to manage the filming, sound, his own game and the car himself. The cost of the tape did not exceed 32,000 euros, thanks to the technical team, which agreed to work for low pay. The film "Taxi" won the Golden Bear at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival. The head of the jury, Darren Aronofsky, described the picture as "a love letter to the cinema ... filled with love for its art, society, country and audience."