DRIVER

“DRIVER feels like a breath of fresh air… A simply-made gaze into an overlooked culture, one deserving of far more respect than it’s received and one that Azimi has captured beautifully."

– Brian Farvour, The Playlist

“[An] alternatively meditative, enraging, and joyful film… Accompanied by an atmospheric score and gorgeous landscapes, ‘Driver' takes its audience on an emotional journey that captures just a bit of the joy, anger, fear, and freedom these women face on a daily basis.” (4.5 out of 5 stars)

– Leslie Combemale, Alliance of Women Film Journalists

“[A] great documentary… A quiet, yet engrossing, fly-on-the-wall style documentary driven by both fascinating characters and brilliantly rendered narrative... The cinematography here is understated and rightly naturalistic, and pairing the intimate photography with a great lead character makes ‘Driver' one not to miss.”

– Joshua Brunsting, Criterion Cast

“Takes an engaging cinéma-verité approach to its subject...The beauty of Azimi’s approach is how it brings the viewer along in gentle harmony with her protagonists...Though the choice of what to show remains in the director’s capable hands, there’s a bracingly direct aesthetic that makes her presence nearly invisible. It’s almost as if we are driving these roads ourselves."”

– Christopher Reed, Hammer to Nail

“A humane and miraculous slice of life… ‘Driver' features stunning cinematography and a brilliant array of subjects openly voicing their frustrations. DRIVER excels when it puts us in the mind of its subjects. Alone in the cab of a rig, free discussion wanders and touches on intimate topics… DRIVER brings a clear purpose and vision to the changing field. It’s an impressive debut that should quickly become a calling card if [Azimi] continues crafting documentaries.”

– Alan French, Sunshine State Cineplex

“A beaut of a documentary… Panache and storytelling prowess… Divinely entertaining… One of the exquisite qualities of this film is that Azimi brings audiences along for the ride.”

– Greggory Morris, The Word

“Marks Azimi as someone to keep an eye on… After seeing this film, I’ll never look at the occupation the same way again… A shining example of cinema verité. Atmospheric cinematography from Joel Van Haren, Carissa Henderson, and Victor Tadashi Suarez palpably captures the beauty of the American landscape, but also the distinct ambiance of grimy truck stops. In both content and form, Driver is a commanding exploration of what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated field.”

– Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat

“[An] eye-opening doc… The allure of the open road can be deeply felt, often making the viewer feel as if they’re riding shotgun.”

– Stephen Saito, The Moveable Fest

“Does a great job of using Desiree to show and explain to audiences how this industry takes advantage of women in particular… Everything about the documentary felt very natural… One of my favorite documentaries I have seen so far.”

– Hamza Ali, Always Watching

"A road movie with a strong sense of direction, Driver is an intimate seat inside the cabs of women truck drivers ... Amidst sunrises, sunsets, scenery, and seasons resonant of a Woody Guthrie song."

– Nora Lee Mandel, Maven's Nest

"A tenacious and eye-opening portrait of one of American society’s most marginalized groups.”

– Katie Carter, Katie At The Movies

"A stark and honest document of the lives of women truckers... The truth of America is magnified in the crass patriarchy of the industry”

– Patrick McDonald, HOLLYWOOD CHICAGO

"A gripping journey through the world of long-haul trucking”

— GEMS NY

"A compelling look at reality for women truck drivers.”

– Pedro Lima, Movies We Texted About

Featured in "A round-up of favorites from the Tribeca Film Festival” “Fascinating.”

– Alise Chalfin, The Dominion Post

Featured in "Tribeca Film Festival 2024: 8 Highlights from This Year’s Event”

– Brian Tallerico, Roger Ebert.com

“One of the highlights of the Tribeca Festival. An extraordinary film.”

– Tony Wohlfarth, Centretown Buzz

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ALL PRESS

*REVIEW* THE AISLE SEAT, Mike McGranaghan

*REVIEW* ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS, Leslie Combemale

*REVIEW* ALWAYS WATCHING, Hamza Ali

CADENA SER (Spanish), Sara Canals

CBS NEWS, David Morgan

*REVIEW* CENTRETOWN BUZZ, Tony Wohlfarth

*REVIEW* CRITERION CAST, Joshua Brunsting

*INTERVIEW* DOCUMENTARY MAGAZINE, Lauren Wissot

THE DOMINION POST, Alise Chaffins

*REVIEW* EYE FOR FILM, Amber Wilkinson

*INTERVIEW* EYE FOR FILM, Amber Wilkinson

FIRELIGHT MEDIA

*REVIEW* GEMS NY

*REVIEW* HAMMER TO NAIL, Christopher Llewellyn Reed

*REVIEW* HOLLYWOOD CHICAGO, Patrick McDonald

*REVIEW* KATIE AT THE MOVIES, Katie Carter

*REVIEW* LA ESTATUILLA, Ricardo Gallegos

*REVIEW* MAVEN'S NEST Nora Lee Mandel

*REVIEW* THE MOVEABLE FEST, Stephen Saito

*REVIEW* MOVIEJAWN, Megan Robinson

*REVIEW* MOVIES WE TEXTED ABOUT, Pedro Lima

NBC OUT, Elaina Patton

*REVIEW* PASSPORT MAGAZINE, Robert Adams

Times Square Chronicles, ElizaBeth Taylor

*REVIEW* ROGER EBERT.COM, Brian Tallerico

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

*REVIEW* SUNSHINE STATE CINEPLEX, Alan French

*REVIEW* UNPAID FILM CRITIC, Wendy Moscow & Seth Shire

*REVIEW* THE WORD, Greggory W Morris