IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

A Political Thriller by Jafar Panahi

2 OSCAR NOMINATIONS INTERNATIONAL FEATURE PALME D'OR WINNER
Justice or Vengeance? The Choice Defines Us

⚖️ A HISTORIC FILM, A COURAGEOUS VOICE

Witness cinematic history with Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or-winning masterpiece, made under extraordinary circumstances. This powerful political thriller explores profound questions of justice, vengeance, and morality while standing as a testament to artistic resistance against oppression. Experience a film that transcends borders and speaks to universal human truths.

Love always, Dijhor

About Director Jafar Panahi

Jafar Panahi, the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker, made this film without official permission from Iranian authorities and has faced long-standing repression and imprisonment for his work. Despite these challenges, he created a Palme d'Or-winning masterpiece that speaks truth to power. This film represents the triumph of artistic expression over oppression.

Movie Information

Director

Jafar Panahi

Iranian Filmmaker & Political Prisoner

Year

2025

Runtime

112 minutes

Country

France (Co-production)

Submitted by France to Oscars

Language

Persian (Farsi)

Festival Award

Palme d'Or Winner
Cannes Film Festival 2025

Ensemble Cast

Featuring professional and non-professional actors in a powerful human drama

Vahid Mobasseri
Lead Role
Mariam Afshari
Lead Role
Ebrahim Azizi
Supporting Role
Hadis Pakbaten
Supporting Role
Majid Panahi
Supporting Role
Director's relative
Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Supporting Role
Delnaz Najafi
Supporting Role
Afssaneh Najmabadi
Supporting Role
Georges Hashemzadeh
Supporting Role

⚖️ Film Synopsis & Moral Dilemma

It Was Just an Accident is a 2025 thriller written and directed by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, telling a morally charged story about a group of former political prisoners who encounter a man they believe was one of their torturers.

The film presents a profound moral dilemma: should vengeance or justice define their response? As tensions rise and past traumas resurface, the characters must confront their pain, their principles, and the haunting question of how to respond to historical injustice.

Blending professional and non-professional actors, Panahi creates a powerful human drama that mixes psychological tension with deep introspection, exploring universal themes of justice, forgiveness, and the human capacity for both cruelty and compassion.

Historical Context

• Jafar Panahi has been imprisoned multiple times by Iranian authorities
• Banned from filmmaking for 20 years in Iran
• Made this film clandestinely without official permission
• The Palme d'Or win was a historic victory for artistic freedom
• Submitted to Oscars by France since Iran would not submit it

Cannes Film Festival History

🏆
Palme d'Or
Highest Cannes Award
🎬
Historic Premiere
2025 Cannes Festival
🗽
Artistic Resistance
Made Despite Ban

🎬 WATCH THE MASTERPIECE

Full Film • HD Quality • Wistia Player

🤔 A FILM FOR CONTEMPLATION

This film invites deep reflection on:

• The nature of justice versus vengeance

• The trauma of political imprisonment

• Moral choices in the face of past wrongs

• The human capacity for forgiveness

"What would you do if you met your torturer?"

🏆 Palme d'Or Winner - Cannes 2025

⚖️ 2 Oscar Nominations - International Feature & Original Screenplay

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🏆 Academy Awards Recognition

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
98th Academy Awards
Submitted by France
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
98th Academy Awards
Jafar Panahi's Powerful Script

Festival Awards

Palme d'Or
• Cannes Film Festival 2025
• Historic victory for Panahi
• Made without official permission

Critical Significance

• Politically charged work
• Artistic resistance celebrated
• Human rights statement
• Moral complexity praised

Thematic Importance

• Justice vs. Vengeance
• Political trauma
• Moral dilemmas
• Human resilience

Political & Social Context

Political Prisoners
Historical Trauma
Moral Choices
Justice vs Vengeance
Artistic Resistance
Defying Censorship
Human Rights
Universal Themes
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