BERLIN, Feb. 14 -- The Iranian Film "Taxi" won the Golden Bear, the top jury prize awarded to the best film, in the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday.

In the film "Taxi," the Iranian director Jafar Panahi himself drove a yellow cab through the vibrant and colorful streets of Tehran, while interviewing very diverse passengers who entered his taxi and candidly expressed their views.

He placed his camera on the dashboard of his mobile film studio, which captured the spirit of Iranian society through this comedic and dramatic drive in nothing but an ordinary day.

Jafar Panahi, who is an influential filmmaker in Iran, has gained recognition from world film critics and received a number of awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2000 and two Silver Bears at the Berlin Film Festival in 2006 and 2013 respectively.

German audience Christine Panhorst said she enjoys the characters in the film. "Jafar Panahi has very closed space of a taxi to make a movie, but he made the most of the space he has."

"Taxi," as one of the 19 films vying for the Golden Bear, saw its world premier in the 65th Berlinale.