Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, long known for his defiance of state censorship, has made a triumphant return to cinema with 'It Was Just An Accident', his first feature since being released from prison earlier this year. The film, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, marks yet another bold act of creative resistance from a director whose work has continually challenged Iran's restrictions on free expression.

Made in secret, It Was Just An Accident follows a mechanic named Vahid who believes he has encountered his former torturer at a repair shop. Consumed by rage and uncertainty, Vahid abducts the man and drives him into the desert to confirm his identity, gathering others who claim to have been victims of the same tormentor. What unfolds is a tense psychological road drama exploring vengeance, forgiveness, and the moral fractures within a repressive society.

Speaking to NPR's Scott Simon, Panahi explained that filmmaking in Iran remains an act of courage. "When you want to make a film, you must give them the script. They tell you what to add and what to remove. Then it's no longer your film," he said. "If you don't comply, the legal way is closed to you—so you must make it clandestinely".

While Panahi declined to reveal exactly how he managed to shoot under government scrutiny, he admitted that secrecy is vital. "You work with a small team, limited equipment, and try your best not to attract attention," he said.

The film's ensemble—a wedding photographer, a couple, and a young man named Hamid—represents diverse ideologies. "Each character is a school of thought," Panahi explained. "One believes in violence, another in nonviolence, another refuses politics entirely. Together, they challenge each other—and us—to reach a conclusion".

Despite its grim premise, 'It Was Just An Accident' ultimately turns its lens toward humanity and compassion. "In socially engaged films, blame never lies with individuals—it lies with the system," Panahi noted. He recounted a real event when prisoners rescued their interrogators after a missile strike on Tehran's Evin Prison: "If the system were not broken, such contradictions wouldn't exist. People are forced into cruelty—but they are also capable of mercy".

Panahi remains deeply attached to his homeland despite repeated persecution. "I only feel safe in Iran," he said. "I love my country, and every time they ask me to leave, I say no—I want to return".

For Panahi, the Cannes honour is less about prestige than visibility. "It gives permission for the film to be seen," he said. "Knowing that audiences around the world can watch it and talk about it—that is the greatest joy".