Jafar Panahi is not totally unknown to me and the fact that I had already watched "Off-side" and been impressed by his story-telling perspective of what goes on in Iran in regards to women going (or rather not being allowed to go) to stadiums hadn't prepared me for the subtle power of his last film "Taxi Teheran", a Berlin golden bear awarded film which was clandestinely shot and smuggled out of the country.
Being a filmmaker and not being legally allowed to direct films anymore meant that Jafar Pahani put himself in the shoes of a Teheran taxi driver by pretending to be one and made this incredible eye-opening film despite the circumstances, riding through the streets of Teheran and taking the viewers along the discovery of its passengers and the subtleties of their conversations.
This documentary-style portrait of the soul of the Iranian society in the words of random passengers of different walks of life, with various perspectives towards life and even concerns, is definitely worth seeing.
"Nothing can prevent me from making films since when being pushed to the ultimate 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" - Jafar Panahi
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