Films
"I loved it!...it is an experience." -Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times
"...among the most striking American independent movies of the past year." -Dennis Lim, New York Times
"...moving and touching, and possessed of intelligence and integrity...with acres of heart and humanity..." -Alex Crawford, BBC
Trailer | Poster | Press Book | Stills | Reviews
The life of a former Pakistani rock star who now sells coffee from his push cart on the streets of Manhattan.
MAN PUSH CART tells the story of Ahmad (Ahmad Razvi) a former Pakistani rock singer who ekes out a living selling coffee and donuts to morning commuters from his push cart in Midtown Manhattan. Ahmad supplements his income by selling bootleg porn DVDs, carefully saving his money to afford a place where he might be able to live with his estranged young son.
It is a harsh, often humiliating life, but Ahmad carries on with a stoic dignity and sensitivity, seemingly determined to find his way. Then the dull routine of his life is brightened by two developments: the arrival of a young Spanish woman (Leticia Dolera) working down the street in a newspaper kiosk; and an offer of assistance from a wealthy fellow Pakistani (Charles Daniel Sandoval), who remembers Ahmad's former life as a rock star.
While Ahmad strives to pursue these two new possibilities at a better life, the film returns regularly to the act of him setting up his cart in the early morning darkness: his preparations for opening, the other immigrants who prepare the city in middle of the night, his exchanges with his customers as they buy coffee, tea and bagels from him. This gives MAN PUSH CART a deliberate rhythm as it explores the complex and hidden depths of the character, who we learn is desperately hanging on to his small dreams in the midst of grief and despair.
The denouement of the film is utterly heartrending, yet inevitable. Ahmad's momentary glimpse of an escape from a circumscribed world closes down again and he has to pick himself up and focus on the same things he started with.
Beautifully observed, MAN PUSH CART is a subtle and technically accomplished film, wholly original in subject, location and characters. It is a haunting and insightful feature that gives a revealing picture of a rarely depicted community in the Big Apple and is highlighted by strong central performances and stunning photography.
"...among the most striking American independent movies of the past year." -Dennis Lim, New York Times (read more)
"I loved it...it is an experience." Chicago-Sun Times, Roger Ebert (read more)
"The best fiction entries at Sundance '06" Village Voice, Dennis Lim (read more)
"...the first New York Filmmaker to break out at this year's Sundance." New York Magazine, Logan Hill (read more)
"The first-time performance of Ahmad Razvi as one of the guys you might be buying your coffee and bagel from out of a polished aluminum cart is utterly heart-wrenching." Premiere (read more | view PDF page 1 | view PDF page 2 | view PDF page 3)
"Beautifully acted and directed, with top-notch cinematography by Michael Simmonds, this effort transforms one soul's grief and despair into a luminous journey." indieWIRE (read more | view PDF)
"In addition to Leticia Dolera, who plays the sitting tenant of a nearby newsstand, he [Ahmad Razvi] imbues Man Push Cart with a captivating humanity that is both rare and wholly authentic." Howard Swains, London Times (read more | view PDF)
"One of the best films of the festival" Alex Crawford - BBC (read more | view PDF)
"Moving and touching, and possessed of intelligence and integrity." Alex Crawford - BBC (read more | view PDF)
"A terrific film, with acres of heart and humanity." Alex Crawford - BBC (read more | view PDF)
"Bahrani reveals himself as a real filmmaker" Time Out London (read more | view PDF)
Times Online - Interview with Sandra Hebron, Artistic Director of the London Film Festival - rising talents (read more | view PDF)
Ramin Bahrani was awarded the eighth FIPRESCI award (read more | view PDF)
Iranian-American Ramin Bahrani's film "Man Push Cart" wins critics award at London Film Festival (read more | view PDF)
FIPRESCI - the international federation of film critics (read more | view PDF)
"The film is not only visually excellent, but has a powerful central performance from Ahmad Razvi." Karsten Kastelan, FIPRESCI Jury Member (read more | view PDF)
"A beautiful study of an exiled Pakistani living in New York" - George Parry, FIPRESCI Jury member (read more | view PDF)
"An example of spare, slice-of-life indie cinema at its most unpretentious" Jay Weissberg, Variety (read more | view PDF)
"the place to discover new directors" - Peter Kiefer, Hollywood Reporter (read more | view PDF)
"We will keep an eye on its director" Olivier Seguret (read more | view PDF)
"the movie maker that lots of critics in Venice have been talking about" Interview with Bahrani by Poopak Taati (read more | view PDF)
Renato Massaccesi (read more | view PDF)
Mauro Corso (read more | view PDF)
Luca Lardieri (read more | view PDF)
Redazione JGCinema (read more | view PDF)
"Ramin Bahrani, regista di questo film claustrofobico, racconta che l'ispirazione per inventarsi Ahmed, protagonista di questo film, gli è venuta da da Sisifo di Albert Camus." - One More Blog (read more | view PDF)
"Ahmad è un'immigrato pakistano che vende caffè e ciambelle in un chisco nella multietnica New York..." - Maria Conte (read more | view PDF)
"Man Push Cart è il secondo lungometraggio del regista iraniano Ramin Bahrani. Al centro troviamo un uomo di nome Ahmad, che segue i propri movimenti sospinto da una sorta di forza inerziale da cui non riesce mai a liberarsi." - Andrea Falconi (read more | view PDF)
"Storia di un migrante pakistano a New York, l'opera prima di Ramin Bahrani sorprende per lo stile sobrio ed asciutto, privo di enfasi, per la scarnificazione del linguaggio e del racconto, ellittico ed allusivo, dal finale aperto, operata senza intellettualismi o stucchevoli ostentazioni 'autoriali.'" - Manuel Billi (read more | view PDF)
"Quest'anno l'avete rischiata grossa... Eh sì, quest'anno stavo davvero per dare forfait!" - Cinema Invisibile (read more | view PDF)
