Panah Panahi’s Cannes Favorite ‘Hit the Road’ Official US Trailer

Panah Panahi’s Cannes Favorite ‘Hit the Road’ Official US Trailer

by Alex Billington
March 1, 2022
Source: YouTube

“One day, we’ll laugh at all this.” Kino Lorber has revealed an official trailer for Hit the Road, an award-winning, outstanding little indie film from Iran. It’s the feature debut of filmmaker Panah Panahi, who just so happens to be the son of acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. This premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival last year in the Director’s Fortnight section and ended up with tons of rave reviews (one of my favorites of the fest). The film follows a chaotic, tender Iranian family that has embarked upon a a road trip across a rugged landscape and fussing over the sick dog and getting on each others’ nerves along the way. Only the mysterious older brother is quiet, as he is headed somewhere else. Panah Panahi “makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama.” The film stars Pantea Panahiha, Hasan Majuni, Rayan Sarlak, and Amin Simiar. This is one of the best international films from last year that everyone must see when they get a chance. Don’t miss it – highly recommend watching.

Here’s the official US trailer (+ two posters) for Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road, direct from YouTube:

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 for their journey. The result is a humanist drama that offers an authentic, raw, and deeply sincere observation of an Iranian family preparing to part with one of their own. Hit the Road, also known as Jaddeh Khaki in Iran, is both written and directed by young Iranian filmmaker Panah Panahi, who is also the son of the acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi, making his feature directorial debut with this. It first premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival playing in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar, and also played at NYFF & London. Kino Lorber will debut Hit the Road in select US theaters starting April 22nd, 2022 this spring. Who’s in?

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