Cinecity 25: It Was Just An Accident
12A 103 mins
12A 103 mins
DIR: JAFAR PANAHI. WITH: VAHID MOBASSERI, MARYAM AFSHARI, EBRAHIM AZIZI, HADIS PAKBATEN, MAJID PANAHI. IRAN, FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG 2025. 102 MINS. PERSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
A chance encounter between two men who may have met before is the starting point for arevenge thriller by award-winning Iranian director Jafar Panahi.
Following a minor car accident, Vahid, a mechanic’s assistant, spots the man that inflicted various atrocities while he was imprisoned by the state regime. But is it the same person? After capturing the man in his van, Vahid gathers a group of other survivors on an impromptu road trip as they decide what action to take. This is a thought-provoking study of trauma and retribution with unexpected moments of compassion and humour.
Winner of this year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes, It Was Just An Accident is a testimony to the resilience of its director, who has faced periods of imprisonment and censorship in Iran.
‘Director Jafar Panahi’s films are wise, principled, passionate, and most pressingly, reveal him as a filmmaker of moral clarity and furious, often blackly comic politicalstatement.’ - Christina Newland, Sight and Sound.