JACK'S RIDE
Special Features: U.S. Premiere. Both screenings preceded by a recorded introduction by filmmaker Susana Nobre.
[NO TÁXI DO JACK]
In Portuguese director Susana Nobre's (ORDINARY TIME) playful and evocative docu-fiction hybrid, former New York taxi driver Joaquim Calçada is pushing 65 and ready to retire. In order to do this, however, he must first endure a brief period of unemployment, thanklessly submitting token job applications to prove to authorities that he has tried to find employment, all while having no real intention of returning to working life again. As he travels from company to company, across industrial areas in the Portuguese countryside where factories stand idle, Calçada shares stories of his working life to date, from his experiences as an undocumented immigrant in New York as a cab driver and chauffeur to the likes of Muhammad Ali and Jackie Kennedy, to his most recent work a laborer in the aeronautics industry, with glimpses into his world as a husband, father and friend along the way. Channeling filmmakers such as Ken Loach, Aki Kaurismäki and Miguel Gomes, Nobre crafts an inventive portrait of a character who is both highly unique and a relatable everyman, all while exploring and commenting on Portugal's current socio-economic situation with Joaquim as an unconventional guide. Official Selection, 2021 Berlin International Film Festival. DIR/SCR Susana Nobre; PROD João Matos. Portugal, 2021, color, 70 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. NOT RATED
No AFI Member passes accepted.
Run Time: 70 Minutes
Opening Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021
Genre: Documentary
