Driver

Programmers notes: Driver feels like two films in one, in the best possible way. As an experiential doc, it conveys the long-haul scenic pleasures, rituals, and doldrums of cross-country commercial trucking like no other work. And as a progressive character study, it introduces us to some incredible women who have chosen this profession—and not only aren’t staying silent about the inequalities, mistreatments, and outright abuse they too-often experience, but are organizing to better their situation.

Having artfully embedded viewers in one of modern life’s most isolating professions, Driver’s portrayal of the solidarity its protagonists build as they share stories and speak truth to power is particularly stirring. And yet, don’t go into this film expecting a one-dimensional crowd-pleaser built around certain victories. This is a complex journey down a long highway, one that never shies away from the hard backstories that led many of these women to choose the trucking lifestyle, nor offers platitudes in place of the hard work it’ll take them to implement lasting change.

— Eric Allen Hatch

Baltimorean Anne Balay, an author, labor organizer, former trucker, and story advisor on Driver expected for a post-film Q+A.