Taxi

On a yellow cab weaving through Tehran's busy streets, a rotating cast of riders climbs in and out. The driver is Jafar Panahi himself, acting as host and observer. With a camera mounted on the dashboard, he chats with strangers, turning brief encounters into tiny portraits of life in the city. The conversations range from casual banter to pointed social critique, and the sense of spontaneity comes from the improvised nature of the talks. The ride becomes a moving stage for Tehran's diverse voices, exposing hopes, worries, and stubborn dignity beneath everyday chatter. No big shocks or twists, just the raw texture of daily life captured in real time by a fearless filmmaker, visible in every lingered glance and sound.

Directed by Jafar Panahi and released in 2015, Taxi is built from Panahi's own on road observations rather than a traditional script. The film unfolds as a mobile studio project shot largely in Tehran city streets, with a candid feel.

Critics praised the work for its intimate scope and humane satire, highlighting how small talks become windows into a society under pressure. The film questions censorship and public life with warmth, using ordinary people as improvisational hosts who reveal resilience and doubt. It hints at everyday choices reflecting broader questions.

Taxi Tehran's street cinema approach turned daily commutes into social microcosms. It pushed viewers to reimagine cinema as conversation rather than spectacle, and reinforced Panahi's stance that art can listen even when it cannot shout. Its raw immediacy shows how Iranian filmmakers wrestle with surveillance and freedom on screen everywhere.

Box office data are not widely reported, reflecting its festival and art house release rather than a mainstream hit. Its box office footprint was modest, with influence measured in discussion. Its influence comes through critical discussion and festival circuit recognition.