In a year that Iran dominated headlines, the country's best-known cinematic dissenter offers his third film since the Islamic Republic banned him from movie-making in 2010. Equipped with a dash-cam and posing as a taxi driver, Panahi took to the streets of Tehran, his conversations with a series of passengers creating a microcosm of Iranian society. Within the confines of the car, Panahi dives into a self-referential exposition on the government's censorship, surveillance, and imprisonment of its citizens. His niece, a schoolgirl tasked with directing a film for class is a consummate satirist in her struggles to understand what constitutes the "sordid realism" banned from films by the regime. Taxi is both an act of civil disobedience and a tragicomedy, with references to other films offering a certain levity (an incident with goldfish recall the director's own The White Balloon, the dramatic premise recalling Abbas Kiarostami's Ten). Ultimately, the cinematic image affirms its determination to exist against all odds.
The program begins with an introduction by artist Peter Sellars.
Learn more about the film.
Taxi. 2015. Iran. Directed by Jafar Panahi. Photo credit: Courtesy of Kino Lorber. 94 min.
Tickets
$15 General Admission
$10 Hammer Members with valid discount code
Advanced, online ticket sales for this film are closed. On-site tickets will be available the night of the screening on a first-come, first-served basis. Box office opens 1 hour prior to screening start time.
Tickets can be picked up starting at 6:30 p.m. the night of the screening. Any unclaimed tickets will be released at 7:15 p.m. A standby line for a limited number of tickets will be available the night of the program.
Refunds cannot be provided.
Attending this Program?
Location: Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum
Parking: Under the museum, $3 flat rate after 6 p.m. (cash or check only)
Food and Drink: Enjoy happy hour in our open courtyard café, AMMO at the Hammer beginning at 4 p.m. Food and drink may not be carried into the Billy Wilder Theater.
Membership: Members receive a discount on tickets and priority seating. Sign up for membership today, and you’ll receive a discount code for The Contenders with your confirmation email.
This film program is organized by Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, and Sean Egan, Producer, Film Exhibitions and Projects, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
The Hammer Museum’s presentation is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.
Media sponsorship is provided by The Hollywood Reporter.
