‘It Was Just an Accident’ Review: Iranian Auteur Jafar Panahi Returns to Cannes With an Artful Tale of Trauma and Revenge

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After a long duration during which Iranian authorities had banned filmmaking and travel for him, acclaimed director Jafar Panahi is making his first appearance at Cannes since 2003, the year his movie “Crimson Gold” won the Un Certain Regard prize. In this return to Cannes, Panahi is showcasing a new film titled “It Was Just an Accident“, which competes in the festival. Contrary to any assumptions that it might be a compromise with Iran’s ruling regime, the film instead offers a stark depiction of the struggles endured by political dissidents and those challenging power structures, whether they are esteemed directors like Panahi or ordinary working-class individuals.

Disregarding the self-referential storytelling that has been prominent in his works since 2010, Panahi’s latest film presents a simple, daylong narrative with his signature realistic touch and an impressive cast. The plot, while subtly crafted like a well-structured thriller, gradually intensifies to become a powerful critique of abusive authority and its enduring impact.

It’s been some time since Panahi created a purely fictional work, yet this narrative of torment, detention, and potential retribution seems to have autobiographical elements. However, compared to films like “This is Not a Film”, “Closed Curtain”, “Taxi”, and “No Bears”, where he was compelled to play the lead due to restrictions on collaborating with him, this traditionally directed piece harks back to earlier works such as “Offside”, “The Circle” or his groundbreaking debut, “The White Balloon”.

In the thrilling world of “It Was Just an Accident”, I find myself in a race against time, much like many of Panahi’s masterpieces that start within a vehicle. One evening, I’m behind the wheel with my wife and daughter, when we hit a stray dog, sadly losing its life and damaging our engine. Desperate for assistance, we pull over to a nearby warehouse. Just as I step out of the car, the narrative takes an unexpected turn, shifting focus from me to Vahid, a worker who notices my predicament as he enters the building.

Essentially, Vahid overhears Eghbal, an event that may appear insignificant but will significantly shape the events unfolding. As motives are gradually revealed and tension escalates, the worker trails the driver all the way to his residence, persistently shadowing him until his vehicle is towed to a garage in the morning. At this juncture, Vahid swiftly steps up his game, passing Eghbal in a van, rendering him unconscious and abducting him. In the blink of an eye, Vahid is seen preparing a grave for Eghbal, intending to bury him alive.

In the thriller-like scenario of “It Was Just an Accident”, Vahid harbors suspicions that Eghbal, whose nickname translates to Peg-leg in Farsi, is the very intelligence officer who caused him immense suffering during his imprisonment years ago. Despite these strong convictions, Vahid remains uncertain about Eghbal’s true identity and seeks confirmation from a fellow former prisoner. This individual directs him towards Shiva (Maryam Afshari), a wedding photographer who once spent time in detention and could potentially help Vahid verify his suspicions.

Not long from now, Vahid’s vehicle will be filled with several individuals, each determined to retaliate against the man who tormented them for months due to their complaints against the authorities. The twist, maintaining an air of mystery until nearly the final scene, is that they aren’t completely certain if the person in the van is indeed the perpetrator. Their only proof is that he too possesses a prosthetic leg, as the sound that alerted Vahid earlier was Eghbal’s artificial limb squeaking. (Earlier, it was Eghbal’s prosthesis that made the noise.)

In this arrangement, Panahi delves into the impact of autocratic oppression on various characters who aren’t acquainted with each other but share a common tormentor. As the group travels from day to night (much like many notable Iranian films that primarily unfold on the road), we catch glimpses of their individual experiences.

With Vahid, whose kidney was severely harmed due to multiple beatings, there’s also Hadis Pakbaten, a bride who chooses to abandon her wedding, seeking justice against the man who raped and tormented her. Additionally, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, an enraged worker, is so determined for retribution that he doesn’t mind if their captive is indeed the correct person. He views all intelligence officers serving under the regime as a blight on humanity, even if they were to die.

(In this version, I tried to keep the structure and flow of the original sentence while using more common phrases and simplifying some of the language.)

This narrative delves deeply into the ongoing traumas experienced by Vahid and others, but even amidst these heavy themes, Panahi cleverly incorporates humorous elements. For instance, the sequence of events following the initial accident is oddly absurd, and the strange predicament these five individuals find themselves in is reminiscent of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” In the evening, they encounter Eghbal’s family, leading to a chaotic scene where the captors are rushing a pregnant woman to the hospital. Later, Vahid rushes to a bakery to buy dessert for everyone.

These instances aren’t just meant to uplift us; they also give Vahid and his team time to ponder the ethics of their actions, questioning if eliminating Eghbal, presuming he is indeed Eghbal, ultimately serves a positive end. In essence, Panahi is posing these same questions through his work, both as an individual who experienced prolonged unlawful detention and as an artist who was barred from officially producing films for years, yet managed to find innovative methods to circumvent the restrictions. His latest film doesn’t offer a straightforward response, instead hinting at its poignant conclusion that whether you bury an immoral man like Eghbal or not, he will continue to be present in your life.

Similar to all films produced by Panahi since “The White Balloon”, “Accident” is meticulously constructed from start to finish. Amin Jafari, the cinematographer who also worked on the outstanding “Hit the Road,” directed by Panahi’s son and credited as an artistic consultant, employs single takes to film many scenes, either while traveling in a van or from a fixed point in the hills surrounding Tehran. The numerous ensemble scenes have a more theatrical feel compared to anything Panahi has produced previously, providing opportunities for his actors to shine in ways that were not feasible for quite some time.

Instead of the usual films that the director had to make while shooting behind closed doors and sometimes with just a small video camera, It Was Just an Accident provides another intriguing example of Panahi directing the camera towards himself.

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2025-05-20 21:54