Hit the Road

We don’t choose our family or the country where we are born. At first glance, it seems to be an ordinary family trip. The grumpy father has his foot in a cast, the elder son drives awkwardly, the younger one is relentlessly fussing about and the mother is trying to harmonise all those different energies. But appearances are deceiving. A journey full of laughter, jokes and smiles takes a disturbing turn, which we only learn about through small hints. In his debut, director Panah Panahi masterfully combines a classic roadmovie with a quiet but urgent social message about a country where freedom often ends just outside the car windows. This intimate portrait of one family combines humour, urgency, unflinching tragedy, and characters that are both extraordinarily strong and believable.

IR, 2021, 93 min.; fa, en / cz tit