Another Ramin Bahrani story from the streets: 'Chop Shop'

TWO SMALL but acclaimed features into his career, New York-based director Ramin Bahrani already has set himself apart as a distinctive voice in the American indie film landscape. His movies often prompt comparison to the landmarks of Italian neo-realism (or to that movement's present-day Iranian descendants), and while they were shot on location in New York, for many viewers they might as well be set in an alternate universe.

By Dennis Lim

July 6, 2008