Hit the Road & Lost Illusions: The International Film Series Continues

August 12, 2022

In the next installment of The Aventura International Film Series Panah Panahi makes a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted and deeply moving comic drama, Hit the Road. This film takes the tradition of the Iranian road-trip movie and adds unexpected twists and turns. It follows a family of four as they drive across the Iranian countryside. Over the course of the trip, they bond over memories of the past, grapple with fears of the unknown, and fuss over their sick dog.

Unspoken tensions arise and the film builds emotional momentum as it slowly reveals the furtive purpose for their journey. The New York Times reported “In real life, you might not want to be stuffed into a car with these people — and let’s not forget their dog, Jesse — on a dusty stretch of Iranian highway, but from the first jokey moments of Hit the Road until it's heartbreaking end you will not want to be anywhere else.”

Not rated, the film is shown in Persian with English subtitles. The Aventura International Film Series presented by the City of Aventura is curated and hosted by Shelly Isaacs who introduces the film and leads a post-screening discussion. Screenings are general admission with the lobby doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the auditorium at 7 p.m., Tuesday, December 13.

Lost Illusions
Lucien de Rubempré (Benjamin Voisin) is an ambitious and unknown aspiring poet in 19th century France. He leaves his provincial town, arriving in Paris on the arm of his admirer, Louise de Bargeton (Cécile de France). Lucien soon discovers that the written word can be an instrument of both beauty and deceit when another young writer, Etienne Lousteau (Vincent Lacoste), introduces him to the business of journalism where a salon of wordsmiths and wunderkinds make or break the reputations of actors and artists with insouciant impunity. The New York Times reported, “Lost Illusions, Honoré de Balzac’s novel of Parisian literary life, stands as a stellar example in its period and now, thanks to Xavier Giannoli’s invigorating screen adaptation, in ours as well…Balzac was a prodigious coffee drinker, and the movie, though its characters run on champagne and schadenfreude, is nothing if not caffeinated.”

Not rated, the film is shown in French with English subtitles. The Aventura International Film Series presented by the City of Aventura is curated and hosted by Shelly Isaacs who introduces the film and leads a post-screening discussion. Screenings are general admission with the lobby doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the auditorium at 7 p.m, Tuesday, January 10.

Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. Buy tickets online at: https://www.aventuracenter.org/ - By phone at: (877) 311-7469. Or: (954) 462-0222. Or in person at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center box office Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 p.m. noon to 5:00 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each performance. For Group Sales, please call: (954) 660-6307.

The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center is located at 3385 Northeast 188th Street, Aventura, Florida 33180.