Jafar Panahi's latest film, It Was Just an Accident, won the Palme d'Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. The film is a revenge thriller that explores oppression, political imprisonment, and questions of justice in Iranian society.
What's in the story
The film begins with a man driving his pregnant wife and daughter. He hits a dog and gets into an accident. He goes to a garage to repair the damage to his car, where mechanic Vahid, seeing his limp leg, suspects that this man is the abuser who tortured him in prison. Vahid kidnaps him and calls in several other ex-prisoners to confirm his identity. Together, they try to decide whether this man is their abuser and whether he should be punished.
Theme and message
The film explores complex questions of revenge, justice, and forgiveness. It shows how long-standing oppression and injustice ignite a fire of revenge in people's hearts, and how that fire can cross the boundaries of justice. Panahi drew inspiration from his own experiences—prison, house arrest, and a ban on filmmaking—to make the film.
Construction background
Jafar Panahi made this film in Iran without government permission, a symbol of his courageous resistance. He has previously sent his films to international festivals on a pen drive inside a cake while under house arrest. This film is also a continuation of that resistance.
Reaction at the Cannes Festival
The audience gave a 10-minute standing ovation after "It Was Just an Accident" was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Panahi said in his speech, "I am happy to be here, but there are still many artists in prison in Iran. How can I be happy when they are still imprisoned?"
This movie is not just a movie, it is a protest, a resistance, and a courageous voice. Jafar Panahi has proven through his work that art never stops; it always speaks for the truth.
