Event Date

July 3, 2019 7:00 pm

Location

Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts

Admission

$10

Pre-film talk with Dr. John Pfeifer begins at 7pm, with the film beginning at approximately 7:30pm. In Korean with English Subtitles Based on a true story, A Taxi Driver tells the story of a widowed cab driver from Seoul, who finagles his way into a lucrative fare and unintentionally becomes involved in the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Despite the South Korean government’s attempts at keeping foreign press in the dark, Juergen Hinspeter, a TV correspondent for a German broadcast channel, gets wind of the unrest brewing in the remote city of Gwangju in 1980. From his base in Tokyo, he flies to South Korea where his contact helps him book a taxi to drive him the 150 miles south to the beleaguered city. Down-on-his-luck, behind in his rent, and struggling to raise his 11-year-old daughter, the widowed cab driver agrees to drive the foreign journalist to the locked-down city of Gwanghu. What begins as an easy fare becomes a life-or-death struggle to bring truth to the rest of the world. “An entertaining journey into a tragic and violent chapter of South Korean modern history. . . The two lead actors calibrate their mutual respect and co-dependency to engaging effect, as the escalating violence and peril heighten their sense of personal mission.” -Variety “In unexpected and wonderfully satisfying ways, A Taxi Driver taps into the symbiotic relationship between foreign correspondents and locals, particularly in times of crisis.” -Hollywood Reporter Directed by Jang Hoon Starring: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann Awards: South Korea’s Official Submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards; Best Film at the Korean Academy Awards, Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Score South Korea; Not Rated; Directed by Hun Jang (2017); 137 minutes

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