▁in ex per ien ced ▁driver ▁[ who ▁they ▁refer ▁to ▁as ] ▁Har ay é ▁Pan ah i ▁( A gh aye ▁Pan ah i , ▁ آ ق ا ی ▁ پ ن ا ه ی ), ▁' Mr . ▁Pan ah i ' ." ▁The ▁passengers ▁are ▁played ▁by ▁non - prof essional ▁actors , ▁whose ▁ident ities ▁remain ▁anonymous . ▁Human ▁rights ▁lawyer ▁Nas rin ▁S ot ou de h ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁film . ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁det ention ▁of ▁Gh on che h ▁G hav ami ▁is ▁discussed ▁in ▁the ▁pen ult imate ▁scene ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁Like ▁his ▁previous ▁two ▁films ▁This ▁Is ▁Not ▁a ▁Film ▁and ▁Cl osed ▁Cur tain , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁made ▁despite ▁Pan ah i ' s ▁ 2 0 - year ▁ban ▁from ▁making ▁films . ▁His ▁previous ▁two ▁films ▁had ▁been ▁shot ▁in ▁extreme ▁secre cy ▁in ▁Pan ah i ' s ▁a partment ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁private ▁house . ▁In ▁this ▁film ▁Pan ah i ▁fil med ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁open ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Te h ran . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁film ' s ▁premi ere ▁at ▁Berlin ▁was ▁announced , ▁Pan ah i ▁released ▁an ▁official ▁statement ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁promised ▁to ▁continue ▁making ▁films ▁despite ▁the ▁ban ▁and ▁said ▁" Nothing ▁can ▁prevent ▁me ▁from ▁making ▁films ▁since ▁when ▁being ▁pushed ▁to ▁the ▁ult imate ▁corners ▁I ▁connect ▁with ▁my ▁inner - self ▁and , ▁in ▁such ▁private