A Taxi Driver
dir. Jang Hoon · 2017
In the face of danger and uncertainty, the struggle for truth and justice can awaken a sense of responsibility and courage in ordinary people.
"In 'A Taxi Driver,' the gripping journey of a father navigating the chaotic streets of Gwangju during a pivotal moment in South Korean history unfolds with tension and emotional depth, illuminating the personal sacrifices made in the pursuit of truth."
May, 1980. Man-seob is a taxi driver in Seoul who lives from hand to mouth, raising his young daughter alone. One day, he hears that there is a foreigner who will pay big money for a drive down to Gwangju city. Not knowing that he’s a German journalist with a hidden agenda, Man-seob takes the job.
Full synopsisspoilers
May 1980. A Seoul taxi driver named Man-seob (SONG Kang-ho) comes across an offer too good to be true. If he drives a foreign passenger from Seoul down to Gwangju and back again before the curfew, he'll be paid the unthinkable sum of 100,000 won - enough to cover several months of unpaid rent. Without stopping to ask the details, he picks up the German reporter Peter (Thomas Kretschmann) and sets off along the highway.
Although stopped by police roadblocks at the edge of Gwangju, Man-seob is desperate to earn his taxi fare, and eventually manages to find a way into the city. There they encounter students and ordinary citizens taking part in large-scale demonstrations against the government. Man-seob, alarmed by the danger in the air, pleads with Peter to go quickly back to Seoul. But Peter ignores him, and with the help of a university student Jae-sik (RYU Jun-yeol) and a Gwangju taxi driver named HWANG (YOO Hai-jin), begins shooting with his news camera. As time passes the situation grows more and more serious, and Man-seob keeps thinking of his young daughter at home all alone.
Talking points
- the impact of political conflict on everyday lives
- the ethics of journalism
- fatherhood and sacrifice
- the intersection of personal and political history
