By Then

In his modified minibus, taxi driver Kofi steers his disabled passengers through a changing Paris. They listen with concern to the current affairs programs on the car radio, which report on the new reality of France, from the aftermath of terrorist attacks and colonial entanglements to presidential elections and demonstrations. Fortunately, he can also laugh with his customers, who are mostly regulars. Serenely smiling, Kofi doesn’t complain when they shout, sing or draw on the windows. They talk about their own worries, or join him in peacefully enjoying an aria or classical concert on the radio. In his taxi, Kofi passes the memorials to the victims of terrorist attacks and calmly maneuvers through the demonstrations. The somewhat melancholy, apparently imperturbable driver says very little, but filmmaker Matthieu Dibelius allows the beautifully filmed images of life in the cocoon of the taxi to speak for themselves, as Kofi makes his way through the rain-washed and congested streets of Paris. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)