With the entire Grand Théâtre Lumière on its feet and visibly moved, Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi made history this Saturday at the 78th Festival de Cannes with It Was Just an Accident. The title rings with ironic precision for a master filmmaker who has transformed resistance into art and real-world obstacles into universal metaphors. Shot clandestinely in Tehran, the film is a quiet yet powerful plea for humanity and compassion. Panahi returns to a familiar theme: life as an act of everyday rebellion. While Abbas Kiarostami captured the poetry of the ordinary, Panahi exposes its scars.
The revenge thriller It Was Just an Accident follows Vahid, a former political prisoner in Iran, who believes he has encountered his past torturer after a chance meeting at a garage. Recognising the man by the distinctive squeak of his prosthetic leg, Vahid kidnaps him in pursuit of justice. As he gathers other former detainees, they wrestle with the moral complexities of their actions, questioning the legitimacy of vengeance and the reliability of their memories.
Jafar Panahi, known for his outspoken criticism of the Iranian regime, has been banned from making films and leaving Iran for over fifteen years, spending much of that time under house arrest. He was imprisoned three years ago and went on a hunger strike. Throughout these years, he continued to make films in secret: This Is Not a Film (2011), shot in his own living room; and Taxi (2015), filmed entirely inside a car, which went on to win the Golden Bear at the Berlinale.
Despite these obstacles, he produced this film clandestinely without official permission, featuring women without mandatory hijabs, a direct act of defiance against Iranian laws. The production was a collaboration between Iran, France, and Luxembourg, with post-production completed in France.
Winning at Cannes as a banned filmmaker in his own country is a narrative only reality could write. As he took the stage, he reminded the world that freedom in his homeland is of utmost importance: “Let us join forces (…) Let no one dare tell us what kind of clothes we should wear, what we should or shouldn’t do. Cinema is a society.”
The film’s release sparked diplomatic tensions, with Iran summoning France’s chargé d'affaires in response to French officials praising the film as a gesture of resistance. The director was scheduled to return to Tehran on Sunday, but now, having won the Palme d’Or, that return may become more complicated. Still, in an interview with El País, he admitted that life in exile isn’t for him.
This 2025 Palme d’Or is a gesture of complicity with the ghosts Panahi portrays; a reminder that the most beautiful ‘accident’ is one that restores faith. Cinema remains a weapon of resistance, and Cannes, whether people like it or not, is still its most powerful loudspeaker.
It Was Just an Accident is set for theatrical release in France on September 10, distributed by Memento Distribution. The independent distributor Neon acquired North American rights shortly after its Cannes premiere, even before the Palme d’Or announcement. Following previous successes with Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, and Anora, this victory extends Neon’s remarkable streak — now backing six consecutive Palme d’Or winners. Internationally, Mubi has acquired rights for several territories, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Austria, Turkey, and India. No specific release dates have been announced yet for these platforms, so we’ll have to stay tuned for official updates from Neon and Mubi via their communication channels.