Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning film blends tragedy, humour and quiet resistance. A simple roadside incident becomes a haunting portrait of truth, guilt and survival in modern Iran.
Film details
- Premiere date: 6 November 2025
- Director: Jafar Panahi
- Runtime: 106 minutes
- Language & subtitles: Persian and English with Dutch subtitles
- Age rating: 12+
- Showing at: LantarenVenster, Cinerama, KINO
What’s the vibe?
Understated, gripping and quietly rebellious. Panahi turns everyday misfortune into a layered social thriller that unravels with patience and precision. The tension never explodes — it seeps through each interaction, exposing a system built on fear and memory.
Trailer
Check out the trailer below.
Why you might like it
- For the eyes: Sparse Iranian landscapes and beautifully natural light amplify every emotion.
- For the heart: A tender story of grief and forgiveness beneath the layers of politics.
- For the mind: Examines how guilt, trauma and truth intertwine when freedom is never guaranteed.
Critical reception
Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, It Was Just an Accident has been hailed as one of Panahi’s most humane and courageous works. Rolling Stone called it “extraordinary. The work of a master.” Critics praise its delicate balance of realism and irony, and its subtle defiance against censorship.
Scene to watch for
The quiet dinner sequence where a confession hovers in the air but no one dares to speak — Panahi at his most precise.
Recommended pairing
Pair with a late-night tea and silence afterwards. This film lingers, asking more questions than it answers.
Need-to-knows
Filmed without official permission from the Iranian regime, It Was Just an Accident continues Panahi’s legacy of making cinema under restriction. It’s both a personal reckoning and a universal meditation on the ripple effect of chance and conscience.
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