Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident premiered to a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, marking a powerful return for the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker. The screening, part of the main Competition lineup, was Panahi’s first in-person appearance at Cannes since 2003.
The film, described briefly as a story where “a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences,” centers on working-class characters seeking retribution against a prison guard who once abused them. Though fictional, the film draws from the social and political realities Panahi has long explored, often at great personal cost.
Panahi, known for The White Balloon, The Circle, and Taxi, has faced years of legal restrictions under Iran’s authoritarian government. Since his initial arrest in 2009, he has been subjected to multiple detentions, a 20-year filmmaking ban, and restrictions on travel and speech. Despite this, Panahi has continued to produce internationally recognized films, many made in secret.
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It Was Just an Accident was filmed under similar pressure. In the film’s production notes, Panahi revealed that plainclothes officers attempted to seize the footage mid-shoot. “They continued to put pressure on us by threatening to arrest the crew and shut down production,” he wrote. The team paused briefly, then resumed filming.
Though officially free to work again, Panahi stated, “In practice, I remain on the margins. … I have no choice but to keep working outside the system.”
The director’s return to Cannes is both a personal and political milestone. While many of his peers have left Iran, Panahi remains. “I can’t live anywhere else,” he said. “This film had to be made. I made it, and I’ll accept whatever consequences may follow.”
Published – May 21, 2025 01:42 pm IST