Beginning with the case of an innocent afghan taxi driver who was beaten to death while held in solitary confinement, the film offers a panoply. By probing the homicide of an innocent taxi driver at the bagram air force base in afghanistan, the film exposes a worldwide policy of det. Taxi to the dark side is a 2007 american documentary film directed by alex gibney, and produced by him, eva orner, and susannah shipman. Taxi to the dark side is the story of dilawar, an afghan taxi driver who was detained at bagram air base in december 2002. Daliwar was arrested shortly after the invasion of afghanistan on suspicion of helping plan a mortar attack on american forces. Accepting the oscar, gibney dedicated the award to dilawar, the young afghan taxi driver, and to his own father, a navy interrogator who urged gibney to make the film due to his fury about what was being done to the rule of law. The measure of a nation is how well it lives up to its ideals in the worst of. Taxi to the dark side taxi to the darkside, which recently won best documentary feature prize at its premiere at the 2007 tribeca film festival, examines the death of an afghan taxi driver at bagram air base from injuries inflicted by u. Taxi to the dark side, which received an oscar nomination for best documentary, suffers from having too much it wants to say, and i guess thats not bad. With a title like taxi to the dark side, you know its not going to be a lightandfluffy film, but its a film that needed to be made, and should be seen by everyone. Jan 18, 2008 taxi to the dark side examines torture by u.
Alex gibneys horrifying documentary taxi to the dark side uses the death of dilawar as an entry point into a remorseless indictment of the bush administrations unofficially condoned policy of the torture of suspects, which is forbidden by u. Taxi to the dark side the story of american torture. Feb 06, 2018 a drivers suicide reveals the dark side of the gig economy. Taxi to the dark sides sober, chilling narrative traces what happened to the people in command of bagram. The latest prizewinning documentary from oscarnominee alex gibney, confirms his standing as one of the foremost nonfiction filmmakers working today. A drivers suicide reveals the dark side of the gig. Taxi to the dark side winner of the 2007 academy award for best documentary, director alex gibney enron. Discovery channel puts the brakes on taxi to the dark side. Rent taxi to the dark side 2007 starring brian keith allen on dvd and bluray. Winner of the oscar for documentary feature, taxi to the dark side is a gripping investigation into the reckless abuse of power by the bush administration. Taxi to the dark side reveals bushs torture policies taxi to the dark side is an investigation into the murder of an innocent taxi driver at the bagram air force base in afghanistan as well as the bush administrations policies condoning indefinite detention, torture and abuse. Released january 18th, 2008, taxi to the dark side stars the r movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 46 min, and received a score of 82 out of 100 on metacritic, which put. Mighty ugly things that happen inside my cabs the reason, she said, is the real dark side of smithers that they see from the drivers seat.
Murder of young afghan driver exposes us torture policies by richard phillips 24 march 2008 one of the few welldeserved oscars at last months academy awards went to taxi. Taxi to the dark side is a highly insightful documentary that starts with the relatively simple incident of an afghan taxi driver dying in custody at. Director alex gibney explores the american militarys use of torture by focusing on the unsolved murder of an afhgani taxi driver who, in 2002, was taken. Taxi to the dark side 2008 this documentary explores the american militarys use of torture by focusing on the unsolved murder of an afhgani taxi driver who, in 2002, was taken for questioning. Jan 11, 2018 this documentary murder mystery examines the death of an afghan taxi driver at bagram air base from injuries inflicted by u.
Gibney makes one mans story the centrepiece of his film. The measure of a nation is how well it lives up to its ideals in the worst of times. For taxi drivers staring down an even bleaker future of driverless cars at a moment when washington. It focuses on the december 2002 killing of an afghan taxi driver named. Taxi to the dark side 2008 stream and watch online. A stunning inquiry into the suspicious death of an afghani taxi driver at bagram air base in 2002, the film is a fastidiously assembled, uncommonly wellresearched examination of how an innocent civilian was apprehended, imprisoned, tortured, and ultimately murdered by the greatest democracy on earth. And im thinking, boy, is it gonna be like this every night.
A documentary murder mystery that examines the death of an afghan taxi driver at bagram air base, the film exposes a worldwide policy of detention and interrogation that condones torture and. Taxi to the dark side 2007 the movie database tmdb. In an unflinching look at the bush administrations. Alex gibney, brian keith allen, moazzam begg, christopher beiring, willie brand, george w. Taxi to the dark side american civil liberties union. In an unflinching look at the bush administrations policy on torture, the filmmaker behind enron. A stunning inquiry into the suspicious death of an afghani taxi driver at bagram air base in 2002, the film is a fastidiously assembled, uncommonly wellresearched examination of how an innocent civilian was apprehended, imprisoned, tortured. The film explores the death of an innocent taxi driver. Winner of the 2008 academy award for best documentary feature. The introduction of uber certainly does lead to a drop in taxi driver income and the value. The smartest guys in the room investigates the torture and killing of an innocent afghani taxi driver in this. The hideous death of an afghani taxi driver while in us military custody in 2002 gave director alex gibney the central thread of this searing documentaryan exploration of how the disgraceful abuses of abu ghraib and guantanamo could happen the cabbie named dilawar was arrested for allegedly being a party to rocket attacks on american troops five days into his. A stunning inquiry into the suspicious death of an afghani taxi driver at bagram air base in 2002, the film is a fastidiously assembled, uncommonly. Thomas curtis, milpol, bagram when the sun started to go down, the sand started blowing.
Taxi to the dark side is an academy award winning 2007. Taxi to the dark side the story of american torture hand. Jan 23, 2009 with a title like taxi to the dark side, you know its not going to be a lightandfluffy film, but its a film that needed to be made, and should be seen by everyone. Director alex gibney explores the american militarys use of torture by focusing on the unsolved murder of an afhgani taxi driver who, in 2002, was taken for questioning at bagram force air base. Taxi to the dark side, the new film from alex gibney enron. Jan 29, 2020 pottinger said she needs seven drivers to meet the demand for the companys three taxis. Rent taxi to the dark side 2007 on dvd and bluray dvd. It focuses on the december 2002 killing of an afghan taxi driver named dilawar, who was beaten to death by american soldiers while being held in extrajudicial detention and interrogated at a black.
It won the 2007 academy award for best documentary feature. The film centers around the brutal treatment and murder of a taxi driver named dilawar in afghanistan while in american custody, but does not limit itself to the one incident. Behind the scenes of taxi to the dark side film the. Alex gibney, director of taxi to the dark side, talks with reel progress about his films distribution controversy and the jack bauer phenomenon. This documentary murder mystery examines the death of an afghan taxi driver at bagram air base from injuries inflicted by u. Instead, it uses that as a foundation for the examination of u. Though his death was recorded as natural, the taxi drivers legs, according to a military pathologist, were pulpified. For taxi drivers staring down an even bleaker future of driverless cars at a. Taxi to the darkside, the latest prizewinning documentary from oscarnominee alex gibney, confirms his standing as one of the foremost nonfiction filmmakers w. What happened there wasnt kept quite as quiet as what happened in bagram.
Taxi to the dark side accomplishes what a documentary, or just a concise analysis, regarding all of the facts in one of the many nightmares the united states involvement in the middle east should. Jun 14, 2008 taxi to the dark side 106 mins, 15 directed by alex gibney. The smartest guys in the room investigates the torture and killing of an innocent afghani taxi driver in this gripping probe into reckless abuses of government power. In an unflinching look at the bush administrations policy on torture, the film takes us from a village in afghanistan to guantanamo and straight to the white house. Taxi to the dark side is an indepth look at the united states use of torture in the war on terror that won the 2007 academy award for best documentary. A drivers suicide reveals the dark side of the gig economy. One of the most important films of the past five years, alex gibneys oscarwinning documentary taxi to the dark side, is a quietly. Basically, they were given medals and placed in charge of another prison. Dark side of smithers drives only local taxi service out. But the film quickly becomes one of the most powerful, carefully researched investigations of the morallegal side effects of current american military campaigns in afghanistan and iraq. Dilawar, a young afghan taxi driver, took three passengers for a ride.
Taxi to the dark side is a highly insightful documentary that starts with the relatively simple incident of an afghan taxi driver dying in custody at bagram army base on december 5, 2002. Taxi to the dark side begins with one incident in afghanistan that, like a good crime investigation, spreads out to reveal the administrations war effort breaking serious international laws and basic american values. Taxi to the dark side is terrifying ride behind us lines. As such, its a stomachturning glimpse of what might await our own soldiers and citizens in the years to come. Taxi to the dark side 2007 taxi to the dark side 2007. January 18, 2008 taxi to the darkside, which recently won best documentary feature prize at its premiere at the 2007 tribeca film festival, examines the death of an afghan taxi driver at bagram air base from injuries inflicted by u. Initially, it seems that alex gibneys militarytorture documentary, taxi to the dark side, will be a work of speculation and spotty recall.
Dark side of smithers drives only local taxi service out of business, says operator. Taxi to the dark side 106 mins, 15 directed by alex gibney. Taxi to the dark side, despite its cleareyed dissection of this troubling event the murder of a hapless, helpless afghani taxi driver feels like a cautionary tale thats come just a bit too late, just after the worst has happened. He arrived at the prison on december 5, 2002, and was declared dead 5 days later. Taxi to the dark side starts out by discussing the case of a muslim taxi driver named daliwar. Mighty ugly things that happen inside my cabs the reason, she said, is the real dark side of smithers that they see from the driver s seat. The present story is of an afghan taxi driver who died while within u. The medical examiner claimed the driver died from excessive physical abuse. Feb 08, 2008 initially, it seems that alex gibneys militarytorture documentary, taxi to the dark side, will be a work of speculation and spotty recall. Taxi to the dark side, however, does not simply recount a single, awful anecdote from the early days of the war on terror. Taxi to the dark side 2008 this documentary explores the american militarys use of torture by focusing on the unsolved murder of an afhgani taxi driver. Using the torture and death in 2002 of an innocent afghan taxi driver as the touchstone, this film examines changes after 911 in u. Taxi to the dark side 2007 an indepth look at the torture practices of the united states in afghanistan, iraq and guantanamo bay, focusing on an innocent taxi driver in afghanistan who was tortured and killed in 2002.
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