Panah Panahi, son and collaborator of embattled Iranian master Jafar Pahani, makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama.

HIT THE ROAD takes the tradition of the Iranian road-trip movie and adds unexpected twists and turns. It follows a family of four - two middle-aged parents and their sons, one a taciturn adult, the other an ebullient six-year-old - as they drive across the Iranian countryside. Over the course of the trip, they bond over memories of the past, grapple with fears of the unknown, and fuss over their sick dog.  

Unspoken tensions arise and the film builds emotional momentum as it slowly reveals the furtive purpose of their journey. The result is a humanist drama that offers authentic, raw, and deeply sincere observation of an Iranian family preparing to part with one of their own.

Part of our Short Docs & Narratives: Spotlight on Iran

Followed by a (60-minute) translated Q&A with Director Panah Panahi as he discusses Hit the Road, a Main Slate selection at NYFF59, with NYFF Director Eugene Hernandez.

Director Panah Panahi

Note from IndieWire: "Hit the Road" - a heartbreaking and unexpectedly hilarious debut where Panah channels his father, legendary director, Jafar Panahi while speeding in the opposite direction.

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Excerpt from Variety magazine article: “Hit the Road,” which was filmed in remote areas of Iran with a regular permit, portrays Iranian society that is not at ease with the country’s hard-line government, including scenes depicting the fear of being under police surveillance, stemming from the director’s real life, but also from that of the country at large.

“The more I think about it, the more I realize that we have always lived with this feeling that we are being watched. That someone is listening in on us,” he said. “This is how it’s been for my family, but I’m sure it’s the same for the families of a lot of artists and intellectuals, on whom the regime exerts constant pressure.”

“Hit the Road” also features songs that are unlikely to sit well with Iranian censors.

“These songs are hits that we all grew up with in Iran that date from before the revolution,” said the helmer. “The regime does not tolerate them and frowns upon their use: They were sung by artists who had to flee abroad after the revolution.”

That’s among reasons why, though he hasn’t had problems shooting the film in his country and taking it to Cannes, Pahah doesn’t think there is a chance he will be able to release “Hit the Road” in Iran. In that respect his predicament is just like his father.