Taxi Tehran

A portrait of the Iranian capital. Forbidden from filming by the government in 2010, director Jafar Panahi poses as a Tehran taxi driver. His fares, who sit in the passenger seat, candidly confide about their lives to the inexperienced driver. They include men and women, young and old, rich and poor, traditionalists and modernists, pirate video vendors and advocates of freedom. The passengers are played by non-professional actors, whose identities remain anonymous. Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh also appears in the film in a powerful and uplifting performance.