A chaotic, yet warm and loving family take a road trip through a scenic mountainous region far from city limits. The dad rides in the backseat with a broken leg, but is it really broken? Sitting beside him is his younger son, who bursts into song and dance at every waking moment. Riding shotgun is the mom, who tries to hide her tears with laughter. Sitting behind the wheel is the parents’ older son, who navigates them through endless twists and turns on a never-ending road. But why is the big brother so quiet and where is he driving the family to?

A powerful, heartfelt, and remarkably mature debut, Hit the Road transcends from a vibrant and playful road movie into a story of love, pain, hopes, and fears, set against the backdrop of a turbulent social context where freedom comes at a very heavy price.

Panah Panahi was born in Tehran in 1984 and majored in cinema at Tehran University of Art. During his studies, he directed his first short film, which went on to make its rounds on both the domestic and international film festival circuits, taking home several awards in the process. Later on, Panah worked on a number of films as a still photographer before moving up into the roles of assistant cinematographer and assistant director.

Eventually, Panah started working as a consultant, editor, and assistant director on Jafar Panahi’s most recent films. Hit the Road marks Panah Panahi’s first feature-length film, which premiered at Cannes International Film Festival to overwhelming critical acclaim and has since travelled to a long list of renowned film festivals all across the globe, including Karlovy Vary, London IFF, and many more.