Solo is an irrepressible, friendly Senegalese immigrant driving a taxi in North Carolina. Unlike most of his other counterparts he loves chatting to his passengers and engaging in their lives.
One night, William gets in his cab, a stoic figure, whose apathetic view of life challenges Solo’s boundless optimism. William offers Solo a mysterious job in two weeks’ time to drive, one way only, to Blowing Rock, an immense cliff that forms one of the region’s most famous tourist attractions.
Following Man Push Cart (2005) and Chop Shop (2007), Bahrani’s third feature is a beautifully drawn character piece that explores the impact strangers can have on each others lives. An irresistible pairing of first-time actor Souléymane Sy Savané and former Elvis bodyguard Red West makes for an unmissable combination. Through an unlikely friendship, Goodbye Solo deftly explores the passing of a generation as well as the rapidly changing face of America.
Winner of the Venice Film Festival’s prestigious FIPRESCI International Critics Prize.