Total Running Time: 4:41
Format: MiniDV

SYNOPSIS

Yellow cab drivers from South Asia navigate the chaotic urban terrain of New York and talk about their experience, post 9/11 as they interact with people from all walks of life. In particular Sikh taxi drivers speak of racial profiling and how their appearance leads to discrimination while Muslim drivers echo this when they say that terrorism is not linked to religion. Listen to taxi driver wisdom from the vantage point of driving around in New York, witnessing immigration, terrorism and international politics. “God is One”, says the Sikh driver. Preaching universal kindness and unity is the spiritual need of our times.

ART INSTALLATION

‘Street Smarts’ was screened in an installation made out of used taxi parts from a junkyard in Queens. A taxi driver friend, Gurjit helped salvage and buy used parts like an old steering wheel, rear view mirror, side mirrors etc from a junkyard in Queens.

These old parts were used to re create a taxi space. The viewer sits inside the taxi space, gets headphones and watches the film on a big wide screen as if it were playing on the front screen of the Taxi.