Jaddeh khaki
Hit The Road
It takes some bravado to attempt a new road movie in the context of Iranian cinema and greats such as Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi (especially when your father is Jafar Panahi). But by any measure, filmmaker Panah Panahi has triumphed with his outstanding debut, pulling out inventive and captivating storytelling that also fuses together the best of its ancestors.
The film’s family of four rolls along on an initially unknown mission: a firecracker kid for whom all the world’s his stage, two sarcastic but loving parents, and a mysteriously angst-ridden older son. Laced with the wisecracks are intimations of danger, and Panahi’s signature tone here is the antic, conspiratorial energy of a close-knit family, but with shadows of the outside world imperceptibly creeping over. The trip will take the family right to Iran’s borders, and the older son is justified in being a little nervous. Benefitting from a talented and deft cast, Panahi’s creative spirit is simpatico with the child’s restlessness, as he employs fresh framing, fantastical touches, and key moments of high drama through bold choices of camera distance. And with its peppery family dynamic, this film understands the bilingualism of parenting – speaking of hard realities beyond a child’s understanding, and speaking the language of play that helps make sense of the world. (Nic Rapold)
In the presence of Panah Panahi.
Panah Panahi: JADDEH KHAKI (2021)
- Hassan Madjooni
- Pantea Panahiha
- Rayan Sarlak
- Amin Simiar
- Panah Panahi
- Amin Jafari
- Abdolreza Heydari
- Ashkan Mehri
- Amir Etminan
- Payman Yazdanian
Celluloid Dreams