Chop Shop
United States
2007
84 Min
Color
1.77:1
English
Synopsis
In a bustling wasteland of stolen cars, mechanics and street hustlers, Alejandro (Alejandro Polanco), a tough and ambitious street orphan, and his older sister, Isamar (Isamar Gonzales), must rely on each other to survive. Living and working in the Iron Triangle, a sprawling junkyard in Queens, New York, the two find their dreams threatened by the hard truths of life, only to find hope and salvation in one another. —amazon.com
Director
Ramin Bahrani
Ramin Bahrani was born March 20, 1975 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Iranian parents. He received his BA from Columbia University in New York City. His first feature film, Man Push Cart (2005), premiered at the Venice Film Festival (2005) and screened at the Sundance Film Festival (2006). The film won over 10 international prizes, was released theatrically around the world, and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards.
Bahrani’s second film Chop Shop (2007) premiered at the 2007 Director’s Fortnight of the Cannes International Film Festival, and then screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (2007) and the Berlin International Film Festival (2008) before being released theatrically to wide and universal critical acclaim. Bahrani was awarded the prestigious 2007 Someone to Watch Independent Spirit Award. In 2008, he was nominated for Best Director Independent Spirit Award.
Goodbye Solo, Bahrani’s third feature film, premiered… read more
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Sean
6May13
A slice of life of a 12 year old living in the outskirts of Queens, New York. He works and lives in a junkyard, trying to get by in life, saving money to buy a food truck so that he and his sister can provide for themselves the life they want. The acting is terrific and is acted by non professional actors, the stand out here is Alejandro Polanco who shows a maturity far beyond his years. Directed by Rahmin Bahrani and with great style, Bahrani is making a name for himself as a director to watch, he captures real life with his lens and done wonderfully. Worth seeing.
Tyler Shaw
22Jun12
This film does an amazing job of making this world real and natural. the shots are well chosen and yet never draw attention to themselves. Great performances. Skilled, subtle filmmaking.
DUTCH
19May12
As Queens is becoming more gentrified, the chop shop is dying soon going the way of Shea Stadium, unceremoniously broken down to pieces as something newer and safer was built in its place. For the chop shops it is not a baseball stadium but the buzzword economic development. This already great film of neo-realism is also the most powerful lifeline to a certain era and area of New York City that will soon be gone.
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"The facts don't really matter:" An Interview with Ramin Bahrani, Part 2
By Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on February 18, 2010
This is the second part of a two-part interview. Part one can be found here. *** IGNATIY VISHNEVETSKY: In writings about your films, versimillitude
"The facts don't really matter:" An Interview with Ramin Bahrani, Part 1
By Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on February 17, 2010
Ramin Bahrani speaks clearly and assertively. He knows what he wants; even more admirably, he seems to know exactly why he wants it. He can
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New York Verité
By Maicol Andrés Ordoñez on January 12, 2010
Man! This guy Bahrani is totally moving on my job as the American neorealist (at least I hope to be) but hey so far he’s just east coast. This flick is the real deal and at no moment does it ask for… read review
Untitled
By Teddy Cheong on April 25, 2009
Allow me to be frank: Chop Shop is a movie that makes neorealism look like Hollywood. Dwelling in gutters and dilapidated auto centers, ‘dirty’ becomes an aesthetic preference that suits the hard knock… read review
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