With a story that portrays life in prison, Iranian director Jafar Panahi challenged the veto that prevents him from filming in his country and transformed the story of political prisoners into a film work that consecrated him with the golden palm in the Cannes Festival 2025.
The film, filmed in secret, was produced under strict restrictions, because Panahi faces a 20 -year prohibition to direct films, imposed by his political activism and his defense of human rights.
After having remained seven months imprisoned for protesting against the arrest of filmmakers, the director again assumed the risk of being arrested when filming It was just an accident (It was only an accident), a story that contradicts the official narrative of the Iranian regime.
In the film, Panahi exposes the story of five Iranians who, when meeting a man they believe was his prison torturer, try to do justice by their own hand.
The script was inspired by real conversations that the filmmaker held with other prisoners during his imprisonment in the Evin prison, where he was imprisoned in 2022 for defending critical government filmmakers. It was released in 2023.
Before going to jail and meeting the people I met there – and listening The Hollywood Reporter.
It is really in that context, with the new commitment I felt in prison, that the idea and inspiration for this story arose, he added.
During the Cannes closing gala, Panahi received an ovation when raising the golden palm. BBC News He described the film as a furious but fun revenge thriller that points to oppressive regimes.
In his speech, the director called on the unity of the Iranian people: “The most important thing is our country and the freedom of our country.” He added: “That nobody dares to tell us what kind of clothing we should wear, what should we do or what we should not do.” His words caused an ovation standing in the auditorium.
Means like Infobae and BBC They emphasize that the filmmaker has been arrested multiple times since 2009 for his realistic social dramas, considered subversive by the Islamic Republic. In 2010 he was sentenced to six years in prison for supporting anti -government protests and a prohibition was imposed to film or travel abroad. It was released after two months on conditional bail.
Despite international recognition, Panahi reiterated that he will return to Iran, despite the legal risk he still faces. “As soon as my work ends here, I will return to Iran,” he told the press. “And I will wonder what my next movie will be.”