THE enchanting Iranian road movie Hit The Road is Ilkley Film Society’s next screening on Sunday, March 19th (8pm, Ilkley Playhouse).

We follow a family of four – and a sick dog - as they drive across Iran towards the Turkish border. Mum is doing all the driving as Dad has a broken leg. There is a wide age gap between their two sons, and a wide gap between their attitudes to the journey: the younger is joyously effervescent about an exciting trip, the older is silently preoccupied with the real purpose of the journey.

The film, writer-director Panah Panahi’s debut, won the Best Film award at the 2021 London Film Festival and was one of the most popular films with audiences at the Leeds festival in the same year. Panahi is the son of the currently banned and imprisoned director Jafar Panahi, and those familiar with the father’s films (Offside was shown by the Film Society in a previous season) will find strong similarities of style and humour.

Non-members are welcome as guests (£4) but should phone Dave Howell on 01943 430097 to guarantee admission.