Panah Panahi, son of influential Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Taxi, This Is Not a Film), makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama.

Hit the Road takes the age-old tradition of the road trip movie and adds unexpected twists, turns and a uniquely Iranian flavour. It follows a family of four as they drive across the rugged, beautiful countryside: a father (Hassan Madjooni) sitting in the back nursing a broken leg, a mother (Pantea Panahiha) driving while holding back tears, an ebullient six-year-old (Rayan Sarlak) constantly breaking out into song, and a mysteriously quiet older brother (Amin Simiar).

Over the course of the trip, they bond over memories of the past, grapple with fears of the unknown, get on each other’s nerves and fuss over their sick dog. But where are they headed? You’ll have to come along to find out.