In the charming film Taxiway French-American director Alicia Harrison opens a rare window into the hopes and aspirations of the New York City taxi drivers. Immigrants whose diversity reflects the ever-changing face of the city, they share a sense of striving to do better than they might have done in their home countries.
Harrison, who grew up in New York and now lives in Paris, uses ever-so-gentle questioning and patient camerawork to tease out their stories: the young man from a big family who cannot lose the feeling he must always save something of every meal for a sibling; another man who invites good luck to his cab with amulets and holy water; the ex-pilot from a village in Uzbekistan who dreams of one day writing a book.
As the drivers talk and make their way from one fare to another, the camera also lands on telling vistas of New York just outside the cab’s windows: a pop-up photo shoot at a red light; a college graduation; an old man clutching a bouquet of flowers as he walks with his family; a view from the bridge. Despite stories of the occasional unpleasant encounter, most convey an essential fondness for the people they ferry around the city, one driver so much so he has to remind himself to not take their troubles so much to heart.
Watch the trailer.
Taxiway will make its U.S. premiere at the Mead Film Festival on Sunday, October 20, at 8:30 pm in Kaufmann Theater. Harrison, a 2013 Margaret Mead Filmmaker Award contender, will be in attendance.
Taxiway will be shown with Top Ten Ldn, a short film by Tara Manandhara bout London’s diverse cultural landscape, revealed in a whirlwind of weddings, street carnivals, markets, and games played out in public parks.
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