A Journey Into The Heart of Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident"

Imagine yourself sitting in a movie theater, on the edge of your seat, as you become engrossed in the inner dialogue of renowned filmmaker Jafar Panahi through his riveting film, "It Was Just an Accident". The film, much like Panahi's other daring creations, was made without any official green light from the Iranian government – a ballsy move that has allowed the brave director to boldly critique an authoritarian regime, but certainly not one without considerable repercussions.

Since 2010, Panahi has had a series of run-ins with the law, both getting arrested and placed under house arrest. His most recent brush with the law came in 2022 following his inquiries into the arrests of fellow filmmakers, Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad. Panahi has crafted a thrilling masterpiece with "It Was Just an Accident" that exposes his own tumultuous tales of captivity and shining a light on others who share his experience, many of them still behind bars.

On a surface level, the film takes you on a ride-along with a family that accidentally hits a dog while driving at night. This event spirals into a pulsating drama when a workshop mechanic, Vahid, becomes convinced that the husband, presumed to be Eghbal, an ex-intelligence officer, had previously tormented him. This suspicion leads to Vahid's frantic quest of assembling a team of Eghbal’s other alleged victims to his workshop to confirm his identity, plunging us deeper into their dilemmas and conversations as they decide what to do with the man they hold captive.

Panahi, despite the intense pressure of filming without permits, found comfort in the creative camaraderie of his team. He shared, “While making this film, I knew who was on my team and who I was working with, and that was able to help me relax”. In a conversation with RogerEbert.com, the auteur spoke about the justice of screentime and the joy of working with family, among other things.

When asked about his fearlessness in critiquing the Iranian regime, Panahi stated, “Any film that’s made that doesn’t exactly fit what the government wants will run into the same problems. I received a heavy prison sentence, I asked myself what I could do. You can find a thousand reasons not to succeed when creating a cinema."

In the film, Panahi wonderfully wove together a narrative featuring a powerful young protagonist, Delmaz Najafi, serving as a moral counter to the more radical tendencies of other characters. The director attributes the success of this approach to a deep understanding of the child and the right choice of actor.

Family also played a crucial role in the creation of “It Was Just an Accident”. Panahi warmly admitted to working with his nephew, Majid Panahi, as well as his sister-in-law. He fondly recalled that having members of his family close by during the production helped him feel secure and safe.

As an artist, Panahi has always admired Alfred Hitchcock’s work. However, he openly admitted to relying on a more personal and novel style of cinema while creating the new film, veering away from Hitchcock’s influence. In making his characters confront the their perpetrator, Panahi paints a poignant illustration of the deep-seated torment and anguish experienced by victims when their offender refuses to acknowledge their misdemeanors. This perspective underlines the vitality of cinema in bearing witness to these unspoken stories.

Having built a supportive community of colleagues, friends, and family, Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" is a testament to the power of an unquenchable spirit and defiance against oppressive forces. The film, showcasing the blooming presence of the Iranian underground film movement, won the prestigious Palme d’Or, and has managed to create a platform for the next generation of filmmakers in Iran. Despite the perils and hardships they’ve faced, Panahi and his fellow filmmakers have irrevocably reshaped the landscape of Iranian cinema. "It Was Just an Accident" is set to open in New York on Oct. 15, then makes its way to LA on Oct. 17 before rolling out across the country.