The Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has long been producing films despite facing severe restrictions imposed by an oppressive government, leading to multiple imprisonments, travel prohibitions, and bans on moviemaking. In 2022, at age 65, Panahi spent seven months behind bars but secured his freedom after initiating a hunger strike lasting just two days. Throughout these challenges, he persisted with his cinematic endeavors, often sneaking completed works outside Iran’s borders even when incarcerated himself. After returning to Cannes in person for the first time since 2003—and three decades following his receipt of the Camera d’Or—Panahi continues to assert his artistic voice against formidable odds.
The White Balloon
, his debut feature.
Panahi has consistently utilized his movies to condemn the policies and human rights violations of the Islamic Republic, producing them covertly and sans permits. His latest work continues this trend.
It was merely an accident.
, was made under similar circumstances, but this time, Panahi was able to present the film himself. Inspired by his time in prison,
It was simply an accident.
, which premiered in competition at Cannes and simply
won the Palme d’Or
is a provocative revenge thriller centered around a deeply moving ethical dilemma. Despite lacking additional background on Panahi’s esteemed body of work, the movie stands out for its jarring yet subtle intensity. However, understanding this piece as part of Panahi’s journey adds even greater weight to his courageous artistic expression.
A Fractional Moment Results in a Striking Ethical Story In It Was Merely an Incident
The movie starts with a family of three heading home late one evening. When Eghbal (played by Ebrahim Azizi) accidentally strikes a dog, their vehicle sustains damage, compelling them to stop at a nearby store for assistance. Upon entering the workshop, the audible squeak caused by his prosthetic leg sets off Vahid (portrayed by Vahid Mobasseri), the proprietor of the facility. After leaving the place, Eghbal notices that he’s being followed. Soon afterward, Vahid seizes this opportunity to abduct him and takes him out into the wilderness where he digs a pit large enough to entomb him within.
It turns out that because of the noise made by his prosthetic limb, Vahid thinks Eghbal is the person who tormented him during imprisonment. However, he isn’t completely certain since he had been blindfolded throughout and upon seeing the scars from the wound that led to his amputation, he can’t be sure if the timing aligns correctly. As uncertainty starts to set in and we begin questioning whether Vahid’s actions stem more from intuition than concrete evidence, he opts against burying Eghbal. Instead, he contacts another inmate for assistance in verifying the identity of the individual now contained within a box at the rear of his van.
From there, things spiral out of control, as other victims of Eghbal’s alleged violence are roped into Vahid’s kidnapping plot and they themselves debate his identity and whether killing Eghbal will even heal any of the wounds inflicted by him and the regime. The man is insistent that he is not these people’s torturer but, for much of the film, we are just as in the dark as Vahid and the others, including wedding photographer Shiva, the bride-to-be, her groom, and another man who is hellbent on killing Eghbal regardless of the doubt that begins to spread through the group like a disease.
Every tiny act of resistance is just as important as a grander one [and] it’s through all of this that Panahi finds such poignant emotion…
It’s as if, in real time, Panahi is working through his own thoughts about what he would do if he were to face his tormentors and have this kind of power over them, giving voice to the various perspectives at play. Is revenge really the answer? Will this violent act really heal the trauma inflicted by the man with the prosthetic leg? And what to make of the bride and groom, on the cusp of one of the happiest moments of their lives and thrown back into the depths of their worst experience.
Panahi keeps things tight, and we follow this group as they drive around, debating what to do. The van itself serves as a primary location, claustrophobic and seething with the anger, resentment, and fear of what such an act could cost them now that they have all begun to heal in their own ways. Using this brilliantly crafted story, Panahi asks many important questions about the nature of revenge, violence, oppressive regimes, and more. It’s a slick vehicle – sleeker than Vahid’s van – but not without its messiness.
Releasing this film, though, is a continued act of resistance by Panahi, and he gives a voice to people, both in Iran and under other oppressive governments, who have thought about all the ways they themselves would take revenge against the people who have harmed them. Even in subtle ways,
It was merely an incident.
Is groundbreaking, ranging from the conditions during which Panahi made the film to featuring actresses onscreen without headscarves, which are legally required in Iran.
At some point, a character asserts that the group does not consist of murderers — “We are not like them,” she states. However, these minor distinctions hold little weight within a cycle of violence triggered by the lifestyles they’re compelled to follow, be it adhering to governmental regulations or defying them regularly. Each minute act of defiance holds as much significance as larger ones do. Through all this, Panahi manages to capture profound emotions embedded in a suspenseful narrative that provokes deep reflection while being intensely unsettling. This stands out as an impressive accomplishment for the filmmaker, leaving a lasting impact long after viewing, which intensifies over time. Similar to how uncertainty seeps into the minds of the vengeful characters,
It Was Just An Accident
slowly seeps in before firmly grasping you and carrying you through its captivating journey.
It was simply an accident.
It made its debut at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Palme d’Or. NEON will handle the distribution of the film in North America.
Leave a Reply