Night on Earth is a 1991 comedy-drama film directed by Jim Jarmusch. The film is comprised of five vignettes, each depicting a taxi ride taking place on the same night in different cities across the globe: Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki.
In Los Angeles, a young casting agent named Corky (Winona Ryder) takes a taxi driven by a chatty, upbeat driver named Corky (Giancarlo Esposito). As they drive, the two begin to bond over their shared name and their mutual love of music.
In New York City, a crotchety taxi driver named Helmut (Armin Mueller-Stahl) is forced to deal with a succession of difficult passengers, including a drunken executive and an obnoxious teenaged girl. But when he picks up a blind woman named Victoria (Beatrice Dalle), the two share a surprisingly intimate and emotional conversation.
In Paris, an African taxi driver named Djamel (Isaach de Bankolé) picks up a Russian named YoYo (Gena Rowlands) who, it turns out, doesn't speak a word of French. Despite the language barrier between them, the two engage in a hilarious and touching conversation about love, life, and the nature of travel.
In Rome, a taxi driver named Gino (Roberto Benigni) regales his passenger, a priest, with a series of increasingly absurd stories about his life and his perceptions of the world around him.
Finally, in Helsinki, a sullen and brooding driver named Mika (Matti Pellonpää) picks up a group of drunken passengers who try to cheer him up with their antics and stories.
Throughout the film, each of these characters – from the chatterbox Corky to the sardonic Helmut to the eccentric Gino – provides a unique perspective on life, love, and the strange connections we make with strangers, all in the midst of a single eventful night.