Film discussion Tuesday night: Jafar Panahi’s Taxi

January 5, 2016
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I’ll have to admit that selling Taxi is a tough job. Yes, it won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Yes, it has received universal acclaim from film reviewers and critics. Yes it has been described as a masterpiece and its director as a genius.

But there’s not much to hang a recommendation on; no big stars, no sensational shootouts or car chases. It’s just a taxi driver (Panahi) driving his taxi around Tehran, talking to his passengers and listening to their stories of what it’s like to live in Iran.

Would it make a difference if I told you that Panahi has been convicted of making “anti-government propaganda,” sentenced to six years in jail and banned from writing screenplays, making films, giving interviews or travelling outside Iran for 20 years? (This is his third film since the sentence was imposed.) How about that his first film after the ban, This Is Not a Film, was smuggled out of Iran on a flashdrive inside a cake?

Maybe not.

It might make a difference that Panahi’s films are described as love letters to film, to his city, his country, and the world. Because Jafar Panahi is not a bitter man, and his films are funny and moving and they feature people talking about what their lives are like. Part of that is what it’s like to live in a theocracy controlled by the mullahs; but only part.

And you might be interested to know that his first feature film, The White Balloon, won the Caméra d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Or you might just want to come for the sake of film, a chance to talk with other film lovers and the free coffee and popcorn.

But I have a strong feeling that if you make the effort to put on your overcoat and brave the cold, Jafar Panahi’s Taxi will make you glad you did. He’s that kind of filmmaker.

I hope to see you there, which will be at 7:00 in The Music Hall Loft. (The Martian will be playing in The Historic Theater), but as much as I loved that film, I think Taxi is the better choice.

And if you’re holding either your calendar or your mobile device in your hand, you might want to make a note of the film discussions for the next two weeks as well. On January 12, we will be talking about Spotlight, a film so good that I had to do the discussion despite its long run at the MallPlexx 3000. And on January 19, we will be discussing The Room, a film with a performance by the lead actress that has left critics breathless.