city of lies - a very readable book about life in teheran
much of it describing the layout of the city and it's streets
this film then offering to provide realisation to visualisation
the camera is fixed to the dashboard of the taxi pointed ahead
a few minutes of nothing really - no talking - just a street vista
not overwhelmingly busy - cars, motorbikes and pedestrians
then the car moves off and i think we drive along vali asr street
this the single long avenue running east/west of the entire city
still no dialogue but as in a taxi time to just gaze at local life
first impression - peugeots - lots of them - every second car
405's mostly - the influence of the french remains to this day
a woman hails the cab - she steps in and sits in the rear seat
soon after a man also flags him down and takes the front seat
so establishing that cab-sharing is normal practice in this city
the camera now angled on both passengers as they converse
he goes into a rave about how common tyre theft is currently
and that captured thieves should be executed - as a lesson
she horrified that such extreme measures would be proposed
he in turn surprised that a woman would challenge his views
he pushes her to tell him what she does for a living - a teacher
she in turn pushes to tell her what he does - i'm a mugger he says
this as he pays his fare and leaps from the car - she earns a free ride
we then see the driver for the first time as he takes a mobile phonecall
promising to be there in 10 minutes - then he pulls up alongside an accident
a motorcyclist has been knocked down - he is bundled into the back seat
he is bloodied and near unconsciousness and his girlfriend is wailing
she asks for and uses the driver's mobile to record his 'testament'
it's a noisy trip but they are delivered to the nearest hospital
shortly after she calls to urgently arrange delivery of the film
a young man jumps in and recognises the driver - mr panahi!
i used to deliver videos to you - don't you remember me?
and offering to supply more - a clear comment on film piracy
but also it seems our driver is a once famous director in iran
now a taxi driver - ah - i get it - this is his latest little project
2 women are in the back with full goldfish bowls - they spill
and then a lady lawyer with a bunch of red roses is in the front
she a defender of civil rights and on the way to assist a prisoner
some discussions around that and the bad state of affairs in teheran
the driver then picks up his niece from school - she has a camera
precocious and/or intelligent she is - she films people on the street
all the while exclaiming to her uncle that her films must be 'appropriate'
another slur on the state of censorship in this country at this time
she spots a purse on the back seat - left by a goldfish bowl lady
they mentioned where they were going - to a city water spring
he heads there and spots them then runs with his niece and purse
meanwhile a motorcycle pulls up and a rider then enters the taxi
we hear him talking and the screen goes black - common thieves?
no - he curses as he cannot get the card out (sim?) and then flees
the end - a very simple credit from jafar panahi then comes up
a thanks for viewing his film - curiousity aroused - wiki is hit
he a banned film-maker in iran so forced into secrecy
this is latest and boldest film set outdoors in daylight
awarded the golden bear at the berlin film festival
bravo - in context this is an essential piece of work...
